The Fugitive
by teenage-dirtbag
Summary: HGDM She didn't betray them, no. Not by hiding him. Or worse, falling in love with him.
1. Calling

**Hey guys! It's been too long since I've written a Harry Potter fic. Anyway, I hope you like this one. I know the title is from a movie somewhere, but it seemed to fit.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in anyway, ok?**

**Summary: She didn't betray them, no. Not by hiding him. Or worse, falling in love with him.

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After just one week of staying home, Harry owled her to tell her that he needed her. She packed her stuff and lied to her parents, telling them that she got an internship from the Daily Prophet. Her parents were naturally ecstatic, but still dreaded to lose their baby girl for the rest of the summer. After much debating and persuading that they didn't need to go live with her, she hugged them tightly and lugging her luggage to the fireplace, screamed the name of the place where she knew she was safe, and where Harry was waiting for her.**

"Hermione, you came." Harry said warmly and proceeded to give her a welcome embrace. His naturally vibrant green eyes were very pensive, probably still from the shock of Dumbledore's death. He could smell Mrs. Weasley's cooking, which she was grateful for, knowing that a mother figure was what Harry needed right now.

"Of course I would." She said in reply, and just then Ron came into the room. She flinched involuntarily, probably from the fact that she had some kind of feelings for him, but regained composure just in time. She smiled at him.

"Mum, 'Mione's here." Ron screamed, eating a chocolate bar. That was what she loved about him, his sense of innocence, or what some would call ignorance. He always made her laugh, and she'd like to believe that it was that that helped her go through these tough times. And of course, Harry's strong presence that always made her feel protected.

Mrs. Weasley came into the room, looking as cheerful as ever, despite the circumstances. She gave Hermione a motherly hug, and then proceeded to scold Ron. "Ronald! Bring Hermione's luggage up to Ginny's room!" Her tone changed immensely when she spoke to her. "Dear, won't you come into the kitchen and help me finish up our dinner? You better wait up in the dining room, Harry dear. And oh, please call Ginny. Tell her to leave that bloody contraption Arthur got for her. iPin it's called, or something like that." She walked towards the kitchen, humming a little tune.

"How are you? I mean, with Ginny…" She asked, knowing that they briefly dated the previous school year, and that Harry broke up with her at the end of it.

"Actually, we're quite fine now." He said, dusting off a little of the floo powder that got into his shirt. "We even talk sometimes, you know, alone."

"I'm glad." She said, smiling, then followed Mrs. Weasley to the kitchen.

Harry sighed. He felt some sort of comfort knowing that Hermione was here. He did as he was told, going up the stairs and knocking into Ginny's room. The monster that growled inside of him whenever she was near seemed to have tamed a bit, when he saw her lying down in her bed, listening to the iPod Mr. Weasley got her.

"Ginny, dinner's almost ready. Your mum's asked me to call you." He said, going into her room.

She removed the earphones from the player and looked at him with a questioning face. Harry still loved that about her, the way she got away with everything that was supposed to make you mad. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" She asked, sitting up.

"Dinner's ready." He said, "And leave your iPod. Your mom might turn it into desert." He joked, or at least tried to.

Ginny laughed. She's accepted that even though she can't be with Harry, she can still be his best friend. And that's what she was, for the past week; a good friend; although it still hurt her to be only that. "Those muggle songs are getting really good. When we go to muggle London, I'd want to get a CD of that Eminem. He's rudely funny." She said, then walked out the door with Harry.

"Just in time," Mrs. Weasley said as they got down from the stairs, and they saw that everyone was in place. The only one that wasn't there was Mr. Weasley, which seemed to bother Mrs. Weasley. "Now, sit down. And eat. Harry, your still looking a bit pale," she said as she spooned some potatoes in his plate, "I must fatten you up somehow."

Everyone laughed, and Mrs. Weasley took her place in the table. "Mum, where's dad?" Ginny asked, spooning in some clear pea soup.

"He's got loads of work at the Ministry, dear, that's why he's going to be a bit late for supper." She said, then suddenly the Weasley clock chimed. "That must be him now."

"Molly? It's me." Mr. Weasley's voice boomed outside the door. "The question, Molly."

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes. "Your dearest ambition?" She asked.

"To find out how airplanes stay up." He answered without skipping a beat. "And now…"

"Arthur, please, the children are here." She said, still embarrassed. But then she knew that he wouldn't go in unless she asked him. "Mollywobbles, alright?" She whispered. She backed up to let Mr. Weasley in.

"We have got to change those bloody questions, Arthur." She said, taking her husband's coat. "Now, sit down and have some supper."

"Well, I suppose the questions are getting a bit old," He answered. "Oh, hello there Hermione." He greeted.

"Mr. Weasley," She said, then eating a forkful of meatloaf. "This is really good, Mrs. Weasley."

"Why, thank you dear." She replied graciously, then the rest of them ate dinner in silence.

After an hour or so, Mrs. Weasley cleared up the table and sent them all to bed. "We're gonna be sharing rooms." Ginny said to Hermione, thrilled. "I could show you my iPod! Dad got it for me, when an officemate of his left it at his table. Figured they knew his obsession over muggle contraptions."

"That's wonderful!" She said, then followed Ginny up to the stairs.

The next morning, Hermione was greeted by the smell of bacon on her way down. She stopped dead on her tracks when she saw Ron. He gave her a chirpy smile.

"Good morning, 'Mione. You look wonderful today." He greeted, and Hermione blushed at this. She realized that maybe something really could get through his thick skull.

"Thank y—" But she knew her friend all too well. "What do you want?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ron grinned sheepishly. "Nothing. I just want to say—"

Hermione hit him with her hand. "Well, I don't need to ask." She said, calming down. "I'll find out when you tell me in, oh, about, a minute." She walked away, counting the seconds mentally.

"Alright, remember the chocolate I was eating last night?" He started, "Well, it was muggle. Hisreech, I think. Well, I was wondering if you could conjure me some more. I mean, you are the most brilliant witch in Hogwarts."

"Oh don't sugarcoat it." She said, rolling her eyes and walking off to the living room.

"But Hermione!" He whined, but was silenced when three bars hit his head simultaneously. He laughed, and screamed after her a thank you.

"Good morning, Hermione." Harry said, as she walked into the room. She could see that Ginny was with him, and they were playing Monopoly. The car, a silver game piece, was moving by itself.

"We asked dad to jinx it before he left." She explained, then returned to handing Harry a couple of paper bills. "Want to join?" She asked nicely.

"No, thanks, I'll just watch." She said, laughing weakly. "Who's winning?" She asked.

"I am." Harry said proudly, then proceeded to roll the dice. Ginny just stuck out her tongue at him. Just then, Mrs. Weasley went in.

"Hermione dear, will you join me in the kitchen for just a bit?" She asked nervously, then eyeing Harry. Harry looked back, as if conveying a secret message, then continued to play. Hermione walked behind her, and saw a tall man sitting down when they reached the kitchen.

"Lupin!" Hermione squealed, and she gave him a quick hug. He looked very worn out, his brown coat ripped and his face smeared with dirt.

"Shh, not so loud." He whispered. He then looked at Mrs. Weasley. "Molly," He said, and she understood what he meant. She took some plates and went out.

"Do you know why you're here?" He asked in a hushed, urgent tone.

"Harry asked me to go." She replied, unsure of what was happening.

"I told Harry to send you here, Hermione. Look, you're a very clever witch. And right now, the order needs you. Do you understand?" He asked, his eyes looking at her sternly.

"Yes," She affirmed, "Yes, I understand. What do you need me to do?"

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**Ah, the cliffhanger. What does she need to do? You have to review to find out!**


	2. Run

**So! This is my second chapter. I'm really glad you guys liked it. Thank you, THANK YOU! For reviewing. I am really overwhelmed! sniff, sniff I love you all! Anyway, hope you like this one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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"Good." Remus Lupin replied, and then took his wand out. "_Refreto,"_ He said, and then suddenly a bright light flashed, which caused her to close her eyes momentarily. Before her was London, inside what seemed to be a floating fishbowl shaped television. After six years in the wizarding world, there were still some things that awed her.

"We have received reports that You-Know-Who has recruited young death eaters." He said, pointing to the screen. The scene zoomed on random faces, each going about their different businesses. "Some, your schoolmates." Suddenly the screen showed the exterior of Hogwarts castle, then the Slytherin crest. "As you already know, Draco Malfoy is one of them." The screen showed a picture of Draco, which caused Hermione to redden in anger.

"That slimy git," She muttered under her breath. "What do you want me to do?" She asked.

"We want you to go undercover. Since you are still quite young, he will not be expecting you to be working for us. You will live in a house in Knotsville, one of the most prestige subdivisions of wizarding London." She saw a peaceful neighborhood, one with rose bushes everywhere and luxurious manors filling the space. "You will pretend to be interning with the Daily Prophet, as the alibi you told your parents."

"So, I'm going to catch death eaters?" She asked, quite thrilled by the idea.

"You can put it that way. We want you to report to us people whom you think may be death eaters. Your Slytherin schoolmates, naturally. I'm not saying that all of them are, but some of them have given in to him. Look for suspicious behavior or rituals." He said, and then with a flick of the wand, the screen was gone. He smiled warmly and patted her back.

"As for your safety, your house is protected by a powerful charm, one that is unbreakable even to the most clever of wizards; care of Alastor, of course. We have set up a communication system so that you may easily call us if you need help. Floo powder is of unlimited supply in your fireplace, and expect me or some other member of the order to drop by twice a week, for updates. Feel free to use unforgivable curses if you must, Hermione. Drastic times call for these measures." His face softened, and a hint of the old Remus Lupin was seen.

"Nymphadora will be coming for later. Only Harry knows where you are, but Ron and Ginny will be briefed by Molly in due time." He looked out the window, as if knowing that someone was watching. "I have to be going now. And Hermione, do be careful." He said, then disapparated with a loud crack.

"I will." She whispered. She went out to see Mrs. Weasley dusting furniture, looking very flustered.

"Oh dear!" She said, pulling Hermione in for an embrace. "Please tell me you said no." She said, looking into Hermione's brown eyes. "You're too young to be working for the order!"

"I'm sorry," She said, and tears fell fresh from her eyes. "If it's to help our cause, I will." She buried her head into Mrs. Weasley's shoulder and continued to sob. "Could I possibly… die?" She asked, knowing that what she was about to do was deadly dangerous. And she was alone.

"I won't let that happen. No one will." She said, wiping the tears from Hermione's cheeks. She smiled at her. "Now go pack. I sent Ron and Ginny on an errand, so you have time." She pushed her gently, motioning for her to hurry.

She hurried up the stairs to put back in her suitcase the clothes that she unpacked yesterday, never minding if she was just piling them all in. She heard a couple of footsteps walking in, and knowing that it was Harry's, she ran to him.

"Hey," He said gently, stroking her hair to console her. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." She said, smiling. "This is an honor, to be fighting by your side."

"And I'll stay by your side, no matter what happens." He said, then walked towards her suitcase and put in whatever was left. "We'll come and visit you, and Mrs. Weasley said that she'll be sending food over everyday." He said in an effort to cheer her up.

She zipped her suitcase up, and then heard a loud crack. She laughed. "We'll be like James Bond, or something like that." She said, going out of the door. She saw Tonks, her hair bright yellow, waiting for her. Harry gave her a kiss on the forehead, a friendly one, then helped her with her other suitcase.

"Hiya, Harry." Tonks greeted with a bob of her bright yellow head, and then took the other suitcase. "Hold on tight, Hermione." She said.

"Be safe." He said, then a loud crack signaled that they were already gone.

The next thing that Hermione saw was a beige living room, adorned with antique furniture. A big, golden couch was sitting in the corner, and behind it was an enormous glass window with sheer white fabric draping over it. An enormous stone fireplace stood in the middle of the room, with flower carvings all around it. An elegant Perisan carpet covered most of the marble floor, and a long table bore different pictures of her loved ones.

"Like it?" She asked, dropping Hermione's suitcase. "It's my Great Aunt Janella's. 'Couse she died already, and left the will to any member of her family. I was the only one they found, cause the other lot probably became death eaters." She took her wand out, and muttered a simple spell to send Hermione's things upstairs. "I put everything muggle in here to make you feel at home, from those marsasines to that bloody tlelanavon. I even hooked you up in what Remus called a nable, or something like that." She smiled at her. "I have to be off now. Take care, Hermione."

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He ran as fast as he can, faster than he has ever ran in his whole life. He couldn't be one of them, no, he just couldn't. He despised the thought that he might just like be his father. He hated his father; he was the one that caused him to be like this. But now he was gone, and he thought that he and his mother could live on happily.

The treacherous light of the moon followed him as he searched for a path, any path that would lead him away from them. He couldn't hear footsteps, maybe he lost them, or maybe the Dark Lord was complacent that he would soon find this young runaway. He saw a familiar light, a lamppost, on the corner. He recognized it, and thought that he must be nearing home. Finding a majestic oak door, he pounded hard, wishing for the lady inside to come to his aid.

"Who is it?" A small yet comforting voice answered from within.

"It's me, mother." He answered, sounding very pained. He was limping while he ran, and blood oozed from the wound he got from hiding amidst the thorn bushes.

"Draco?" She asked, and immediately opened the strong wooden doors. There lay his precious son, all dirtied and bloodied from running. Despite these, she ran to him and captured him in a tender embrace. "What have they done to you?" She asked, ushering him inside. She conjured up a towel and a basin of warm water, and lay her son down in the couch.

"Forgive me, my son!" She cried, wiping off the mud from his face so he'd look at least halfway decent. The sparkle, to her, was lost in his eyes and replaced by a cold and empty stare.

He put Narcissa's hand away from his face. "I fled, mother. I just couldn't." He fell into his mother's arms, looking for the warmth and the love that she had. "I don't want to be like him." He said coldly.

"You won't." She consoled, and conjured up again a mug of hot cider. "Rest, Draco." She said, offering the cup to him.

"No." He said sternly, sitting up. "You must hide, mother. Anywhere where he couldn't find you. Please!" He pleaded.

"And you? Where will you be?" She asked, concerned. The fire crackled in the fireplace, which made him look towards it.

"I will be safe, I promise." He gave his mother a short embrace and a peck on the cheek. "You must go now." He said, looking out the window. "They are coming."

"Come with me!" She said, holding his hands and looking at him with a kind of look only a mother with love can give her child. "Draco…"

"Please understand." He said, and then he heard a couple of rustles from outside. "Now."

A blast of sparks went through the window, shattering it. Narcissa ran for cover, but then she saw the plea in her son's eyes. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, and she disapparated quickly, giving in. Draco, on the other hand, ran to the kitchen to go through the back door. A hooded man followed him quickly, and just as he was about to mutter an incantation, Draco raised his wand and beat him to it.

"_Crucio!_" He bellowed coldly, seeing just in time the hood fall of his head. It was Hathorne Nightsent, a close friend of his father's. He closed his eyes for a moment, realizing what he had just done to a friend. Instinct pulling in, he ran out into the night, not expecting the surprise he would get in the next door that he would knock on.

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**Whose door, exactly? My guess is as good as yours. Next chapter? Please Review!**


	3. Surprise

**THANK YOU for your fantastic REVIEWS! Anyway, here's chapter three. I apologize if it's quite short; it's supposed to be filled with sort of cliffhangers. Anyway, MUCHOS GRACIAS!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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"Mum!" Ron shouted as he went in the front door, clutching twigs in his right hand. Ginny was behind him, her face filled with smears of dirt. He spotted Harry by the fire, reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_ for the nth time.

"Yo, mate!" He called out, dropping the twigs beside a small, round couch. He joined Harry and took the book away from him. "I figure you're going to be a bloody good quidditch player if you won't become an auror."

Ginny got one of the throw pillows and hit Ron squarely on the head. "Idiot. Of course Harry's going to be an auror. He's going to be the finest the ministry has ever seen," She sat beside Harry, even through her gut was quite apprehensive of the move. "Don't listen to him."

Harry simply smiled at the both of them. Before, he would join Ginny in teasing Ron's ignorance, but now it seemed that all of the energy was sucked from his body. He had no reason to laugh, or to make jokes. All he knew was that there was a war coming and Hermione may be in enemy territory when it starts.

"Done already?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she went in the living room. As usual she was cooking; that was all she ever did—cook, clean and worry. "Here you go." She said as she took out two silver coins from her pocket. "Two fat sickles for your trouble."

Ron got the shinier coin and started to examine it. "I still don't get how acorns come from Austria."

"There _are_ acorns in Austria. There are acorns all around the world!" Ginny said, taking her sickle and quickly putting it in her pocket.

"That's supposed to be Hermione's job, correcting me," He said, taking one of the cookies from Harry's saucer and munching on it contentedly. "By the way, where is she?"

Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a nervous glance. "I think you'd better sit down for this."

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Hermione skipped all the way to the last door in the hallway. The place was more than enormous, and it took her hours exploring the mansion. There were three libraries ("Full of dark books, perhaps") 25 bedrooms, where she found her suitcases in the most luxurious one ("Thanks, Tonks"), four major dining halls which featured the four colors of the Hogwarts school ("I have a feeling not all of them were Slytherins") two kitchens, and other rooms that made her question who was living in the place exactly.

As she held the solid gold knob, she noticed something different on it. A small emerald snake was coiled around it, and no matter how hard she twisted and pulled it would not open. Taking out her wand she performed a simple _alohomora_ spell, but the door still won't open. She then noticed an inscription below the doorknob.

_Lineage pure and bloodline in, _

_You will discover the mystery within. _

She knew it meant no one outside the pure blood families could open the door and discover what was inside. She tried a couple more spells to get around the bewitched room, but to no avail. Giving up, she went back down where she knew Mrs. Weasley sent food in the Gryffindor dining room, and remembering to ask Lupin whom he knew could open the door.

* * *

He was very anxious, something that he knew he must not feel. He is superior above all else, and it was the job of his minions to feel anxious for him. After all, he could have them all killed with a wave of his wand. A small, balding man with a shining steel arm scurried to his side, his face distorted with the ugliest of emotions.

"W-we coul-ld not-t f-find young M-malf-foy, My L-lor-rd." He stuttered, then suddenly covering his face with his platinum arm, as if shielding himself from an unwanted attack.

His eyes lit up with fury, knowing that it was stupid of them not to find a young, coward boy. Wormtail then proceeded to tell him that the boy had cast _Crucio_ on Hathorne Nightsent; to which he smiled; and vanished off into the night.

"I will not punish them for now, Wormtail." He said in an icy voice. "Send more Death Eaters to Knotsville." His long, pale fingers ran through the emerald inscription, feeling their words. "We will find young Draco."

* * *

"What is it, Mum?" Ginny asked; clutching tightly the pillow she used earlier to hit Ron with. Mrs. Weasley sat down and glanced at Harry, to which he gave a small nod.

"Hermione was tasked by the order to spy for them," She started, "Us, I mean. She's now in Knotsville, which you probably know where, and her job is to observe the behaviors of her neighbors—"

"Our schoolmates." Harry finished.

"And how long—" Ron asked, but Mrs. Weasley immediately cut her off.

"Just this morning. Don't worry about not being able to say goodbye, I can bring you along when it's my turn to check," She explained.

"Bloody hell," Ron said, standing up. "Will she be safe?" He asked.

"Very. I promise you that." Mrs. Weasley answered.

"I think I'll go up now," Ron said, walking like a mindless zombie up the stairs. Ginny followed him.

"I think they took that quite well," Harry said, going back to his book. Mrs. Weasley smiled nervously and walked back to the kitchen. Moments later, they heard screams.

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Hermione was drinking her after dinner tea when she heard incessant knocking on her door. "Coming!" She said, placing her cup on the desk and getting her wand. She performed a spell that changed her simple shirt and jeans ensemble to a flowing velvet robe. Opening the door, she was surprised to see a spark of light go in her house and suddenly disappear into thin air. Below her was a boy, looking very wounded. She panicked and pulled the boy in, and shut the door immediately.

She bent down to check who he was, and was surprised to see the familiar platinum blonde hair, now messy and cold, gray eyes that looked dead and helpless. It was Draco Malfoy, and before she could blast him to oblivion, she heard him whisper two words she never thought she'd hear from him.

"Help me," He said almost inaudibly, and then fainted into her arms.

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**Will Hermione keep him, or send him off to Azkaban? Most importantly, why did Draco happen to choose this house? Review to find out! **


	4. Hide

**A/N: Again, thank you for your valued reviews! You all RULE. Anyway, there's a short bit about someone here, just to tell you where she'd gone. Anyway, THANKS again for all your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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Darkness filled the underground chamber, with enchanted torches acting as the very little source of light. He did not like much light; it burned his eyes and pierced his skin. Coldness was very palpable in the surroundings as a young boy's distinct voice echoed through the walls.

"It is done, My Lord."

He smiled cruelly, standing up and walking slowly towards the boy. The boy had very bulky features, but in his stupidity was eager to serve and please him, much like his father before. This was a test to prove his loyalty and courage, and to the Dark Lord's eyes he passed.

"It is beginning." He said, in a voice filled with hatred and obscurity. Footsteps were heard, hurried yet filled with fear as each step went closer. A man wearing a dark cloak bowed before him.

"We could not find him, My Lord." The man said, his eyes lowered to the ground. A dreadful echo filled the chamber as the man, in his final seconds, took in the sight of rough, gray bricks and a piercing green light that brought demise to him and delight in the other's eyes.

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Mrs. Weasley hurried up the stairs, with Harry tagging along just behind her, both armed with their wands. They stopped dead in their tracks at the final step—Ron and Ginny were all right, but the usually ebony sky encrusted with white, shining stars exuded a fearful green color that meant only one thing.

"Harry, wait for Alastor by the fireplace, will you?" Mrs. Weasley said, stunned. She then approached her children. "Come with Harry downstairs." She told them, holding their hands. "I hope Hogwarts has taught you enough." She whispered, pushing them lightly to tell them to go down.

"It's starting, isn't it?" Ginny asked, fearful.

"Be safe." Mrs. Weasley said, tears brimming in her eyes, before disapparating to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place to alert the others.

"I hope Hermione's going to be all right," Harry said, still looking at the window, and the green light that the sign in the sky emitted. His heart was fearful that this sight had drawn out all the hope they had.

* * *

Hermione was alternating pacing back and forth and staring at the boy before her for the last few hours. She had sent him up to one of the bedrooms, and has successfully retrieved his wand as a safety precaution. She had cleaned him up, using magic of course, out of sheer human pity, but then she still didn't know what to do with him. She couldn't send him to the order, because she felt a bit inquisitive on why he was running. And although she didn't want to admit it, even to herself, she felt compassion towards the fact that he was truly helpless.

Harry told her what happened the night Dumbledore died, he said that it was Snape who killed him, and that Malfoy was reluctant to do so. And she held on to that fact, knowing that the boy before her might have something inside him rather than contempt and pride.

She sat beside him, still continuing to stare at his features. Suddenly his platinum blonde hair was tinged with a green light emanating from the window. She went near it hurriedly, fearing that the attack tonight was only the start. She glanced at him, still peacefully sleeping, much like the neighborhood before her, unperturbed by the sign. They all know it was coming.

She covered the open window with the green silken curtains, and turned on the lamp for light. She sat near him again, this time the soft cushions getting to her. She felt sleep overcome her and she finally gave in, closing her eyes and resting her head…

"Where is it?" She heard someone say as she opened her eyes groggily. Sitting up, she saw that Malfoy was checking the drawers and looking quite rested.

"Where is what?" She asked, yawning.

"Oh, you've woken up." He said unenthusiastically. He continued to rummage through, finding an heirloom or two and tossing it on the floor. "Have you seen my wand?" He asked finally.

She had his wand, but was unsure if she could trust him with it. After all, he still is Draco Malfoy, the boy who made her life at Hogwarts a living hell for the past six years. He still is a suspected death eater. "I'll give it to you once you've answered my questions." She said seriously, and he looked at her.

"Why should I abide by _your_ terms, Granger?" He asked suspiciously, going near her.

"Because you are in my house, I have your wand, and I saved your life." She said proudly. For once, she was holding all the cards.

"I could call them, you know." He threatened, giving her a dark look. "After all—"

"You ran away from them last night." She said, cutting him off. Surprise was evident from him and it took him a few seconds to retaliate. Before he could say something, he flinched, and she saw him holding his side. When he removed his hand from the spot, he saw that it was covered in blood. His knees weakened, and Hermione immediately jumped to help him.

"Honestly Malfoy," She said as she helped him to the bed, "All you had to do was say something." She lay him down and unbuttoned his shirt. He immediately sat up, pushing her away.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked. "You…" But he couldn't say it. Not today, when he was at her mercy. And when she saved his life.

"What do you think?" She asked, flicking her wand. "_Accio first aid kit_." She said, and after a few seconds a white bag was zooming through as the door magically opened.

"You're not going to treat me with that," He said, looking at the white bag, "That muggle thing?"

She opened the bag and got a few bottles and some gauze. "I could let you die." She said, as if pondering on the thought. "But then I'd much rather torture you. Now let go, Malfoy."

He let go of his shirt, which he finished unbuttoning. A deep red gash was clearly visible, with blood flowing from it. Hermione flicked her wand to clean up all the blood, and then proceeded to pat the wound with the cotton ball immersed in alcohol. Draco flinched; he felt the sting from the wound, but then was too proud to let her know that it hurt. After a few more cotton pats, with a flick of her wand, a thread appeared and began to sow itself on his wound. She put the gauze over it when it was all done.

"I don't see any reason why to trust you." He said plainly, buttoning his shirt.

"I don't either." She replied, fixing up the bottles and placing the kit on the bedside drawer. "But then here we are. I'm not dead, and you're not in Azkaban."

Draco finally settled the row he was having inside his head. "Listen Granger, I need a place to hide. He would not expect me here," He said, looking at her. "With you."

"Oddly enough," She said, thinking. She remembered the door with the inscription and the emerald snake. "I'll agree."

She got up from the bed and opened the curtains. "On the condition that you will not try to murder me, like what you have tried before in Hogwarts, I'm sure," She said, turning to him. "And that whenever I have guests, you will remain invisible. For both our sakes."

He got up slowly, and walked towards her. He extended his hand. She gave a small nod, and then shook his. Their handshake lingered longer than it should, and it ended with him letting go of her hand roughly.

"I'm hungry," He said, trying to change the mood, and trying to be his usual arrogant self. But somehow, he sensed that she could see through that exterior.

"Why did you run?" She asked softly, ignoring his previous question.

"In due time, Granger. In due time." He replied, and then went out the door.

* * *

She did not know where to go, or where to hide. This was the safest place she knew. Cobwebs filled the whole room, and everything was dusty and gray. A broken picture frame lay on the floor, depicting a happy couple carrying their infant son.

But that was too long ago.

This place, though old and destroyed, brought warmth and solace to her. It reminded her of the days that they used to be free, the days they used to love. She had always loved their son, but he, after what happened, treated him as someone who could pass off the legacy that is their bloodline.

She closed her eyes and hoped that he was safe.

* * *

He walked down the marble steps, unsure why he felt an eerie familiarity to this place. It was as if he truly belonged here, that this place was calling him for a deeper reason rather than safety. He still didn't know why she was here, why she was the one here when he needed protection, why she had accepted him here in the first place. She hated him, he knew that, but…

"Malfoy!" Hermione said, catching up. "I figured you'd get lost in this place. How'd you know where to go?" She asked.

"I never get lost." He stated proudly, and continued to walk down. Suddenly he heard a loud whoosh, and ducked down to see what it was and if it was dangerous. The next thing he saw was a raven-haired boy stepping out of the fireplace and beaming at someone in his direction.

"Potter?" He whispered.

"Harry," Hermione said breathily, smiling nervously as he proceeded towards the stairs.

* * *

**Will Harry catch Draco hiding? Review to find out! **


	5. Sensibility

**A/N: Thanks for all the fantastic reviews. Have a great Christmas!**

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

**

"Stop!" Hermione screamed, and Harry immediately stopped walking, surprised. "I'm coming down." She explained, and then bent down as if doing something to her feet. "Go, now!" She whispered to Draco, and he, still shocked, crawled up the stairs and into the hallway. She got up and smiled at Harry, then proceeded to go down.

"Going up is awfully tiring," She said with a smile as she leaned onto him for an embrace. He pulled away and led her to the living room.

"Hermione, after last night," He said, sensing if she could get his drift. Her face retained a curiously happy expression, so he continued. "The dark mark. I'm going to ask Lupin to pull you out—"

"But you mustn't!" She said, which sort of startled Harry. "Don't you see? All the more I should stay." She said with a chilling smile.

"It's too dangerous." He said, but she still protested.

"I want this thing to end as much as you do, Harry." She replied, her voice sounding of exasperation. "And I want to do whatever it takes to make that happen." She flicked her wand and a cup of tea appeared out of nowhere. She took a small sip. "It's not like I'm fighting anyone. I'm simply," She said, trying to find a word less dangerous than spying. "Observing people."

"You seem to be taking everything casually." He said suspiciously.

"I must. Or else they'll notice." She said, pointing to the houses outside.

"Well, okay. You want to join us for breakfast?" He asked.

"No, thanks. I reckon Mrs. Weasley's sent food already." She said.

"Take care now, okay?" He said, and she smiled in reply. A loud whoosh was again heard and the green flames engulfed him totally, and the next second he was gone. She sighed in relief, and ran up the stairs to find Draco.

* * *

"The dark mark. I'm going to ask Lupin to pull you out—" He heard Potter say, and suddenly her motives were clear. He knew that she was keeping him here to get him to do something in relation to that order the Dark Lord kept on telling him about. After hearing him mutter a goodbye, he ran to the room where he stayed.

"Malfoy?" Hermione said as she peered through the door. "Harry's gone."

"Good. I can't stand breathing the same air as him." He said, and then stood up from the bed, going out and heading into the staircase once again.

"He didn't notice anything," She said, answering the question he had wanted to ask. He kept his back turned but stopped and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" He asked, wondering if she was going to break easily.

She too walked down the staircase, heading for the Gryffindor dining room. "In due time, Malfoy." She answered, thinking it wasn't best to trust him easily. Besides, he hasn't said anything yet.

* * *

"Death Eaters from the south of Britain has sent their affirmations, My Lord." Wormtail said, bowing deeply in front of the man who, after a decade, finally has his chance for domination.

"Excellent. Our plan is in progress, I presume?" He asked, drumming his pale, white fingers on his lap. He knew patience is key to the plan. He looked around, and saw his minions around him, subjecting to him solely because of fear, never loyalty.

"The mole has been planted, My Lord." Wormtail replied, his voice quivering. He knew a mistake could cost him his life.

"Bring me Severus, Wormtail." He said, dismissing his servant with a flick of his hand. Wormtail hastily got to his feet; he still could not understand why the Dark Lord trusted Snape. He has long been an ally of Dumbledore, and suddenly he switched sides, bringing with him precious information, which rendered him very useful to the Dark Lord. Still, it would not change years of betrayal.

After several minutes, Snape appeared in front of him. His robe was torn and muddied, his face filled with scratches and his body with bruises. He held, in his damaged right arm, his wand.

"You wanted me, My Lord?" He asked.

"You have been hiding out in the Forbidden Forest?" He asked, his tone curious yet showing an air of omnipotence.

"Yes, My Lord. I have been in contact with Greyback, and the plan—"

"You fear to be found by the Order." He said, revealing his true intentions. "Why, Severus? You do not trust my protection?"

"I trust it completely, My Lord." He answered respectfully, wondering why his skill with occlumency did not work. It was, after all, a simple lie. "I know them," He continued, "They will not rest until they bring justice to Dumbledore's death."

"It was not young Malfoy who did it." He said, sighing with exasperation. "Do you condone this?"

"I do not, My Lord." He answered. "But in defense to him, he _is_ just a young boy—"

"He directly defied my orders, under your guidance!" He bellowed, standing up. Snape took a step back, clutching his wand more tightly, preparing for a counter attack. He had been in the Dark Lord's employ long enough to know what he can do when infuriated. Wormtail gave a rotten smile.

"Forgive me, my Lord," Snape said quickly, bowing down in deep remorse.

"You have proven useful, Severus." He said, calming down. "I will not punish you this time." He sat down, fingering his wand in his pocket.

"You are most kind, My Lord," Snape said, glancing up to meet his eyes in gratitude and bowing down once more.

"You know what happens to people who disobey me, Severus. I do not like to be tested." He said, "I want _you_ to kill young Malfoy."

Snape could only bow down in reply. "Thank you for your tolerance, My Lord." He said, and disapparated quickly out of the dark, underground chamber. The Dark Lord smiled.

"Everything is as should be, Wormtail."

* * *

The moon shone through gaps in the curtains, which showed fragments of the interiors mostly with dark green velvet and silver silk, which demonstrated the person's loyalty to the house of Slytherin. Ironically, Draco's room was opposite Hermione's, and it has been quite a few hours since they bid each other good evening.

"Run, mother." He said, pained. He saw images of green flashes, which were aimed directly at her. Alternating with this is the picture of a door, a door with an emerald snake in its knob. He ran after her, but could not catch up. There were too many people blocking the way…

"Malfoy!" Hermione said, shaking him. He woke up, only to see a blurry image of Hermione. He got up quickly, surveying the place. He was still surrounded by silk and velvet; it was only a dream.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "I heard you screaming—"

"Get out, Granger." He spat, glaring at her. He could not believe his worst enemy caught him at the moment he was most weak.

She got out of his bed, "Fine." She said coldly, and then ran out of the room quickly. He caught his breath, and closed his eyes again, images from his dream still playing in his mind.

* * *

Hermione got only a few more hours sleep before she woke up again. Glancing at her clock, which read 5:15 am, she figured it was a safe time to get up. Draco was probably still asleep, and the thought of hexing him after what happened last night sounded pretty good. Getting out of her room quietly, she made her way into his room. She opened the door slightly, and found out that he wasn't in the room. The bed was made, and she felt a small pang inside her, thinking that he left.

She walked towards the library, where she knew she would always find solace. Books always calmed her, for books could never hurt her. Books wouldn't judge her. Opening the door, she found Draco sitting in an armchair beside a big window, watching the sunrise.

"Oh." She said, disappointed. It was then that Draco noticed her presence since he glanced at her, then he went back to staring at the window.

"Help yourself. Don't mind me," He said solemnly, never taking his eyes off the window. He heard the door close and the sound of footsteps in the room. She looked at him, and he seemed troubled, yet trying to show a peaceful exterior. His gaze was fixed on the scene before him, which showed shades of pink, orange and yellow.

"Malfoy," She said, wanting to inquire about last night.

"Granger." He said, dismissing her statement before she even said it.

"Well, I'm going now." She said, deciding that this was not the time to bring it up. She turned her back and made her way to the door, but was stopped when she heard Draco speak.

"I went to her, you know." He said, still calm. She faced him and went a couple of steps closer, keeping silent. "Before I went here."

An air of expectant silence followed, and after a few moments, he continued.

"I asked her to hide, because I knew the Dark Lord would be coming for her." He said, "After what I did, he will." Hermione noticed a tone of sadness in his voice. Cold, insensate Malfoy, feeling remorse.

Before she could open her mouth to ask, he looked at her, continuing his story. "They were supposed to mark me that night…"

**Flashback**

_"You have done well, young Malfoy." Voldemort's cold voice echoed in the halls. Amidst them were many others like him, inferior but like him nonetheless. Draco bowed down in front of the Dark Lord._

"_It is my life to serve you, My Lord." He said monotonously. He could sense the others, jealous that a young boy was getting all this recognition, envious, but the most dominant emotion was fear. He knew because he felt it too._

"_Hold out your left hand, Draco." The Dark Lord commanded, and he immediately did so. He knew what would transpire next; he was about to be marked._

"_Your father would be very proud of what you've become." He said, never sensing the error he made in doing so. After all, he was god among them. Draco suddenly stood up, covering his hand, his eyes in horror. He quickly disapparated, leaving the others troubled and the Dark Lord infuriated._

"_Find him!" Voldemort bellowed, and at once all that were present were gone._

**End of Flashback**

"You ran." Hermione said, realizing what was now happening. The supposed heir to the throne of the Dark Lord ran the day he was to be named as such. "Why?"

"I couldn't be like him." Draco said coldly, blatantly referring to his father. He gave a small, sarcastic laugh. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I'm supposed to hate you."

"Supposed to?" She asked.

"It makes sense, doesn't it? I'm in Slytherin, and you're in Gryffindor. I'm a pure blood, and you're a mu—" He stopped when he saw Hermione glaring at him. "Muggle born." He continued.

"You know, there's this muggle writer named Shakespeare." She said, sitting down in the armchair in front of him. "He wrote this beautiful story called Romeo and Juliet."

"Fascinating." He said sardonically.

"The thing is, Romeo and Juliet are from two bitterly opposed families." She said, and Draco could get the meaning. "But despite that, they still fell in love." She said in a dreamy voice, then suddenly breaking out of her lovestruck trance. "Well, the story ended with their ironic deaths, but still."

"That's disgusting." Draco remarked.

"How come?" She asked.

"You're implying that _we_ fall in love?" He said, dreading every word.

"No, that's disgusting!" She protested. "I'm just saying, it doesn't mean that if it makes sense, that's what supposed to happen. That's what choices are for, you know."

"You confuse me, Granger." He said, standing up.

* * *

**So, there! Who's the mole? What's supposed to happen? Review to find out! **


	6. Destiny

**A/N: Sorry for the long update, and the short chapter. But hope you enjoy this anyway! Merry Christmas!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, though I want Draco Malfoy or Cedric Diggory from the movie for Christmas. **

* * *

He couldn't understand her behavior. He knew, after all, she was his best friend for six years that she would be afraid. That she would go with him willingly if he asked her to. But staying made him think that she had other plans than spying for the order.

"Give it a rest, Harry. I'm sure she's fine." Ginny said, polishing her wand. She didn't like Harry like this, fidgety and tense. It was as if the Harry that she knew, the fun, adventurous Harry had disappeared completely.

"Okay." He said softly, finding comfort in her words. Even though they weren't together, she still was there for him as a friend. And he was beginning to think that they'd be better off as such.

There was a loud pop and Lupin immediately appeared in front of them. He looked quite better, more rested and clean. He smiled warmly at Ginny and turned to Harry next. "You need to come with me, Harry." He said, extending his hand.

"Sure." He said, standing up from the sofa. "Bye, Gin." He said, turning to Ginny and smiling at her. Then, taking Lupin's hand, they disapparated.

A cold, dusty scene replaced the warm, cozy interior of the burrow. They had arrived at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Voices could be heard from the kitchen, and that was where they went.

A girl was sitting in front of the fire. Tonks, her hair striped with orange and blue, was trying to comfort her. The others, Moody and surprisingly Professor McGonagall were talking. Some other people he didn't recognize were also there, reading the Daily Prophet and debating on the events. He had noticed that the girl had long, raven hair, which gleamed from the fire.

"Harry," Lupin said, going nearer. Tonks looked up at him and smiled. "I presume you know Cho Chang?"

* * *

"How am I confusing?" Hermione asked Draco as she walked behind him briskly. They were walking along a wide hallway, with portraits gazing at them as they passed by. He didn't seem to mind; he just kept on walking.

"You just are, Granger." He said calmly, walking faster. He himself didn't know where he was going, but he knew that it was too depressing to sit down and wallow in his own misery. Malfoys had pride.

"That doesn't even make sense." She said, still following him.

"You are confusing as Potter is self-righteous and Weasley is thick and annoying." He replied, like the old Draco Malfoy would reply, given that he was talking to _her_. And that he just bared his soul to _her_ a few minutes ago.

"Well," She said, trying to think of some argument to counter his insults on Harry and Ron. She couldn't find any. Harry was sulking because Dumbledore had died, which resulted in his breakup with Ginny because of self-righteous reasons. And Ron, though she practically screamed the hints that she liked him, still couldn't catch on. Maybe Draco was right. "Where are we going?"

"I don't really know." He replied, then stopped and turned to her. Then he turned around abruptly and continued on walking. A few hallways and staircases later, they reached a dead end. She recognized the door, but chose not to tell him about it. As if by some magnetic force, Draco was pulled into that very door. He walked there, slowly and calmly, and all Hermione could do was follow. It was as if he had entered a trance. His pale right hand found the golden knob of the door, and he turned it, slowly. It opened the same way with a creak.

"Malfoy?" Hermione whispered. He suddenly looked at her, as if broken from the trance.

"What did I do?" He asked, completely oblivious.

"You opened the door." She replied deadpan.

"Oh. Well, let's go then." He said, looking at the door. The only thing they could see was darkness.

"In there?" She asked, a little scared.

"No, Granger. Out the window." He said sarcastically. "Yes, in there." He pointed to the door, slightly ajar. "Don't tell me you're afraid? We roam around at night for Prefect duty. You've been with Potter in his little misadventures. And you're scared of a room?" He asked mockingly.

"I'm not scared, Malfoy." She said defensively. He had an amused smirk on his face. "Simply hesitant."

"Same thing." He said, and before she could reply he pulled her inside with him, the door closing behind them. "I suppose you brought your wand?" He asked.

"_Lumos_." She said, and he took that as a reply. Before them was a very old room, filled with cobwebs and broken planks of wood. "There's nothing here, let's go." She walked briskly towards the door, but not before Draco could stop her.

"Get a spine, Granger." He said, walking to the other side of the room. Her attention, on the other hand, was towards something that was covered in old blankets. She pulled the cloth off, and dust immediately clouded her eyes. After clearing up, she saw a portrait, a still portrait, of a very handsome man who had pale blonde hair. Beside him was a woman who had brown hair and a noticeably big emerald ring on her right hand.

"Malfoy, your mum wasn't an original brunette by any chance, was she?" She asked; her gaze transfixed on the painting.

"That's ridiculous. Mother is a blonde, like father and I." He said, turning around. He noticed that she was looking at something intently. "Why?" He asked.

"The man in this portrait looks exactly like your father." She said.

"Hey, that's my ring." She heard him say, only to notice that he was right beside her. He was pointing to the emerald ring that the girl had. "It was given to me by my Great Aunt Janella. I lost it."

"The portrait," She said, poking it softly with her wand, "It's not moving."

"Maybe she hexed it or something. Paintings can get annoying, you know. In the manor, father—"

"It's a muggle painting." She said, now fingering the texture of the picture.

"What do you mean its muggle? Aunt Janella was pureblood. She would never get any muggle to paint her portraits." He said with contempt.

"Who said it was your Aunt Janella in the painting?" She asked, her eyebrow raised. " I distinctly remember one of the paintings in the hallway bearing a Janella-something-Meliflua name. The old lady was sleeping, and she had black hair."

"But still, Aunt Janella wouldn't employ a muggle to do this. Whatever this is, it must be a mistake." He said, though in the back of his mind he was still doubtful. "Can we go now? I'm getting filthy." He opened the door and went outside. She followed.

"As if you aren't already." She mumbled.

The door was shut pretty hard, and inside a piece of parchment fell on the floor. _On your wedding day. Love, Aunt Janella_.

* * *

_A handsome man with platinum blonde hair entered the room dimly lit with light from the fireplace. Inside he found her, brushing her long, russet hair, and almost immediately she ran to him, and held him tight. He smiled, caressing her warm, smiling face, and leaned in for a kiss filled with unbridled love and passion. From his long, pale fingers he removed an emerald ring, and gently slipped it on her finger. She broke away, her eyes filled with questions unexplained._

_"But—"_

_"It's yours."_

_He smiled once again, and immediately all of her doubts were put to rest. She succumbed to his arms, the warmth they had to offer and the love that he gave.

* * *

_

**Questions, theories, things. Please Review! **


	7. Unexpected

**Sorry for the SUPER LONG update! I really didn't know what to write. Writer's block, I think that's what they call it. Anyway, Here's the next chapter, and I really hope you like it. Thanks guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**

* * *

**

"Cho?" He asked, memories flooding back to him. Her face was the same as the night that they shared their first and last kiss. Her skin radiating the glow of the fireplace, her eyes lost and filled with tears, her smile hidden underneath sadness. She mustered a small smile; a smile he knew was unreal to her.

"I'm sorry you keep on seeing me like this, Harry." She said, trying to lighten the situation. "Ugly and crying." A year before, when they had been almost together, all she could ever do was think about how Cedric died in his midst. She liked Harry, but every time she'd smile because of him, her heart is washed with guilt. She kept on thinking that she shouldn't be happy, because Cedric died. She shouldn't be happy with his rival. And so the tears fell.

"Are you all right?" He asked, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. His heart skipped a beat.

"I'm quite fine now." She said softly. She smiled again, a sad one, and looked up at Lupin.

Lupin pulled him aside. "Her parents were abducted by the Dark Lord. She owled Professor McGonagall, asking for sanctuary. She brought her here, where it is safe." Harry glanced at Cho. She was still pensive. "It is too much for her. Cedric, then her parents. She needs a friend, Harry." He looked back at Lupin. "She needs you."

"I understand." He asked. He knew the feeling of losing them, losing his parents to Voldemort. Now she was sharing his pain, with only a glimmer of hope that they are still alive.

"You will be needing to spend more of your time here," Continued the once professor, and in a lower whisper, "I have already begun asking about the remaining Horcruxes."

"Will you be searching for them?" Harry asked, thrilled. His elusive quest may start a little early, if Lupin had already found leads.

"Inquiring, Harry." He corrected with a warm smile. "But it is your prerogative if I should find anything. I know that this is what _he_ would have wanted." Harry knew that everything they were doing now they were doing for the late Headmaster Dumbledore, and he couldn't blame them. His plan revolved around the same man.

"Okay."

"Good. Take care, Harry." Said Lupin, smiling once more at Tonks who seemed to have turned crimson, and to the others in the room. He disapparated, finally, with a loud pop.

"I'll check on Hermione." Tonks said, getting up from the floor. She seemed better after Lupin had come for a small visit. The others smiled at her and mumbled goodbyes, so she poured water on the roaring fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder in her right hand.

"Number seven, Halls street, Knotsville!" She said clearly, and in a flash of green light she was gone.

* * *

"'Mione?" A female voice asked, breaking the awkward silence between Draco and Hermione as they walked further along the hallway from the room with the emerald serpent. They both stopped in their tracks.

"Tonks," Hermione mumbled under her breath. "Hide!" She whispered to Draco, pushing him in one of the rooms. She had just shut the door when Tonks appeared.

"Hi!" Hermione greeted brightly.

"So, how are you liking my aunt's old house?" Tonks asked.

"Big," She replied. She walked away from the door, implying that she didn't want to talk there. Tonks followed her. "I found very odd rooms."

"Well you see, Aunt Janella was, or trying to be, a seer." Tonks said. They had just turned a corner, now full of portraits of horrific castles and scenery.

"A seer, like that bloke Trelawney?" Hermione said, disgusted. She ultimately despised Divination, much like she despised another thing starting with the letter D. But now she was starting to be okay with him.

"Oh yes, I remember her. Harry told me that she always predicted his death." Tonks said, laughing. "Anyway, she loved wasting her money on getting portraits taken, as you can see in this house." Tonks continued, looking at the different pictures. There was one of a very old room, its door still swinging back and forth. "The old geezer even predicted Lucius Malfoy's son's wedding. What's his name again?" She asked.

"Draco." She spat. "He goes to Hogwarts, the great prat." She suddenly remembered the painting, for some odd reason.

"Right, him." They were now going down a flight of stairs leading to the second floor. "So, any activity?" She asked.

"Nothing suspicious. Just a bunch of people walking around. Occasionally, a kid or two flies around in a broom." Replied Hermione. Six years of being the best in her class has taught her to never forgo responsibilities, despite the circumstances. Knowing that the circumstances were their best lead, she still decided to keep her silence. She may hate Draco, but she still has her sense of integrity and understanding.

"These people. They don't care about the war." Tonks said bitterly. "You alright here?" She asked. They were now going down the main hallway of the second floor, leading to the main staircase.

"I'm quite fine, actually." She answered. "I've been using the muggle things you sent me." She lied.

"Great, I knew those things were good for something." Tonks replied, relieved. She thought that the girl had gone crazy living alone in this big house, like Aunt Janella. "You wanna come back with me to the headquarters? I'm sure Harry and the others miss you."

She opened her mouth to decline, but reason took over. She knew she would seem suspicious if she stayed here all day. She remembered the old Hermione would jump at seeing her friends again, and that the new one, the one who hid a criminal, wouldn't. "I'm going to Ron's place," She screamed very loudly, so as Draco could hear. Tonks found this odd.

"Why are you shouting?" She screamed in reply. "And we're not—"

"Just excited." She said, blocking out her words. Draco mustn't know they had a headquarters, whatever fraction of her old self said.

* * *

"Come on, I'll give you a tour." Harry said, offering his hand to Cho. She smiled weakly and stood up, checking with Mrs. Weasley if they could. She gave a small nod of affirmation, to which she followed Harry out the door.

"Not much, but Sirius said that his father put every kind of protection possible in this place, so we're safe." He said, his emerald green eyes glittering. She remained silent. "That covered painting there," He said, pointing to a dirty old cloth hanging on the wall, "That's Sirius' mum's portrait. It screams bloody murder when it's opened, so make sure you don't do that." A small giggle elicited from her. Harry remembered that she used to giggle a lot, especially with that other Ravenclaw friend of hers. But somehow he knew that this was the closest to before.

"Can we stay here?" She said softly. They sat down the rickety gray steps, just gazing at the covered painting before them. Harry remembered that his mouth felt dry every time he was with her, thus the lack of conversation. With Ginny, it was as if he was talking to Hermione and Ron. Light, and fun, unlike how he related with Cho—somber and nervous. Finally they heard a rush of footsteps and a door opening, and a person of brown hair rushed to Harry, not noticing the black-haired guest.

"Oh Harry, I've missed you!" She said, partly acting and partly true. Cho could only look and smile.

"Hermione," Harry said in constricted breaths, for she was holding him too tight. Finally she let go, and realized the other person sitting beside him. Harry inhaled for a moment then looked at Cho as well. "Cho will be staying with us."

Before she could ask why, Harry gave her a stare that meant that the topic shouldn't be brought up here and that he will explain it to her later. "That's wonderful!" She said, beaming at Cho. Cho gave another peculiar smile; she was under the impression that this Gryffindor girl didn't like her very much.

A split second later, two redheads rushed at them and engulfed Hermione in an embrace. She squealed in delight and realized that these were Ron and Ginny. "Hermione!" The two said, in somewhat ruffled voices. After letting go, Ron recognized the girl sitting beside Harry.

"Cho Chang!" Said Ron, in awe. Despite her condition, she still managed to look flawlessly beautiful.

"Cho Chang." Said Ginny, in surprise, bitterness and jealousy. Here before her lay her ex-boyfriend's perfect almost ex-girlfriend.

"Guys, Cho—"

"No, allow me Harry." She said, patting Harry's hand. "I'm going to be staying with you, if that's all right. My parents have been," She stopped, her face showing difficulty in what she was about to say. "Abducted," She paused again, and they could notice her eyes suddenly shimmering with tears.

"Cho…" Harry said sympathetically, and she nodded in reply. Two teardrops fell at the corner of her eyes.

"Oh, it's fine, Cho." Ginny said meekly, in an effort to cheer her up and show Harry she was unaffected. "Now we have more people to play Monopoly with." Harry glanced at her, and gave her a warm smile, which Ginny regarded as a thank you.

"What's Monopoly?" She asked, hiccupping. She wiped another tear that she resolved to be the last.

"I'll show you." Ginny held out her hand to help Cho up, and together they walked back to the kitchen.

"Looks like they're getting along well," Ron said.

"I hope she's going to be alright, with her parents' situation and all." She answered. "You'll help her through it, won't you Harry?"

Harry looked on at the two girls, different yet so much alike in his eyes. He knew, because he once loved them both. Ginny with her sincerity, kindness and audacity; the girl right in front him yet never taking the time to notice until it was too late. Cho with her stunning grace, the girl whom he loved from the first time he laid eyes on her. They fell apart because of his selfish reason; sorrow with Sirius' death cast a deep shadow onto his life that was never fully lifted. And yet when he looked at them, it was as if he loved them again, and at the same time saw them as the only thing he knew deep in his heart they could be: friends. There was no more time for love; he had a destiny to fulfill.

"Harry?"

"M-hm?" He asked. "Oh, yeah, sure. Of course."

"You alright?" Ron asked, hitting him on the back, as if waking him up from a trance.

"I'll be back." Harry said, getting up. He climbed up the stairs, never taking notice of the stuffed heads of the house-elves that once lived here, like he usually did.

"Ron," Hermione started. She felt the familiar heat creeping up her face. How could a smart girl like her be stupid enough to fall for one of her best friends? He was, seemingly, unaffected by all that's happening. The only thing that probably got through his mind was Cho Chang's presence. "Ron!"

"Huh?" He said, turning to her. "Hi there, Hermione."

She sighed. "Ron!"

"What?" He asked, somewhat irritated.

She breathed heavily. "I'm going now." She said, and suddenly gave Ron a quick peck on the cheek, turning around before he could see her face. If she needed to use blatant signs, she will.

"Hermione?" Ron asked. She turned around, hoping that he will engulf her in his arms and hold her, tell her how much he missed her and tell her that he loved her all along. He went nearer.

"Don't wear Ginny's lip gloss next time you do that, it makes my cheek sticky." He said, wiping his left cheek. Hermione's smile quickly turned into a scowl.

"God, Ron, You're impossible!" She said angrily, storming out of the room and resolving to go home right away.

"Women." He muttered, and then turned to follow Harry upstairs.

* * *

Draco heard a loud swoosh and on impulse, ducked down, bringing the set of wizard's chess with him. "It's all right, Malfoy. Just me." A voice said, gentle yet powerful, brave yet sad at the same time. He heard a snuffle.

"Granger?" He asked, slowly getting up. "Took you long enough. I'm hungry."

"There's food in the Gryffindor dining hall, Malfoy." She answered, still upset. She sat down one of the armchairs and let a few more tears fall, unnoticed to her companion.

"Yeah, about that." He said, going near her. "I was wondering if we could, probably, move to the Slytherin dining hall? The red makes me queasy."

"Sure, no problem." She answered distractedly. He still didn't notice.

"Granger?" He asked, seeing her expression. It had a vacant form of sadness. He saw this as an opportunity. "May I have my wand back now?"

"Okay." She answered. She waved her wand and in an instant, his moved zooming towards them. He caught it the moment it sped by him.

"Going to Weasley's—"

"Don't you ever say that bloody name again!" She said, rising up from her chair and moving towards Draco as if to strangle him.

"What's wrong with you, Granger?" He asked, pushing her back. He tried to get away, but she still went towards him. Clutching his wand, he used his only option. "_Expellia—"_

"I'm not possessed, Malfoy." She said, swatting his wand down. "I'll be in my room." She turned around, and walked towards the stairs heavily.

"Weasley turned you down, didn't he?" Draco asked. He knew, ever since they were in fourth year, that she had a thing for Ron. It was sickening, really; watching the golden trio walk together, Harry having a look of confidence, Ron of confusion, and she of admiration. Draco though, always had a good laugh whenever he saw them and insulted them.

"What?" She asked, nervous. "No! I mean, he's—no!" She answered, flustered.

"You're a horrible liar." He said, and walked towards her. "Might as well give it up."

"Why would you care?" She asked.

"Because I feed off the misery of others." He said proudly, "And that you might have a rage blackout and kill me instead. Remember Granger, I have clean blonde hair, not a dirty red one."

She, somehow, knew he had a bit of concern and sincerity in him. Otherwise he would have ignored her completely. "He's too thick, as you put it."

"So you're admitting that I'm right?" He asked, smiling devilishly.

"Your head will kill us both, Malfoy." She retorted. He, disregarding this comment, drew slowly towards her, and somehow she could not move. He took the first stair, never breaking his gaze, then the next, then the next. When he was beside her, he slowly shifted his head towards her, to a distance where he could almost see the depths within her mahogany eyes. She remained stationary, and so did he. Finally, he whispered.

"How does this feel?" His voice was low and serious.

"I don't feel anything." She answered, her voice quivering.

"Yes you do. You're afraid that we might be too close together. Or that someone might suddenly appear from the fireplace. Or," He stopped, looking into her eyes, feeling her short, rapid breaths. "I might kiss you."

"You wouldn't dare." She replied. Although, she could feel her heartbeat pacing faster.

"You're not moving." He questioned, then went closer so that their lips touched for a brief second. She closed her eyes.

"You wouldn't be closing your eyes if you didn't believe me." He whispered. She suddenly opened them, seeing the gap between her and Draco move far apart. She exhaled. "If you don't feel that way every time you're with Weasel boy, then you're wasting your time crying."

She stayed silent. "I'm going to eat now. Have a nice time in your room." He said, then walked briskly to the dining halls. She started to head towards her room to sulk and conjure up objects with her wand. Although she may not want to admit it, even to herself, something deep inside of her told her that she was going to be just fine.

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I hope you like how things progressed. Suggestions? Review me! Anyway, thanks again. And finally… PLEASE REVIEW!

**Thanks! Kisses! **


	8. Dawning

**Here's the next chapter. Very short. Thanks for the great reviews! You guys rock! ;D**

**Disclaimer: Only the plot and the character Apollo belongs to me.**

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_It was a beautiful, pale moonlight. A woman with strikingly brown eyes admired the glow of the enormous emerald ring in her hand. A cool breeze blew through her, and she felt a pair of strong arms take her and hold her softly. She smiled; she knew it was he. He kissed the side of her head, and she shut her eyes to relish the perfect moment only the stars bore witness to._

_She turned to him, and held him closer. She could feel him swaying slowly, as if dancing to the silent music of the night. "There's no music." She whispered softly, amused. _

_He could only gaze at her and smile. She, on the other hand, could only fall deeper as she stared into his silver eyes, conveying every emotion she was feeling. Soon she could feel his warm lips upon hers, and remembered the time that she worked hard for perfection; that time now seemed like a hazy memory. She learned that with him, everything was perfection. It was in his touch, in his kiss. In his gaze and in his words. _

_He was perfection. And somehow, when she was with him, she was too._

"Granger!"

Hermione felt a pair of strong arms shaking her vigorously out of her sleep. Suddenly the vision on the silver-eyed man vanished into view, and was replaced by an eerie dimness and the feeling of confusion. The arms were shaking her again.

"What?" She asked, getting up. It was already nighttime. She could see a wand on the floor, emitting jets of light. The door was shut, and the windows were closed. Something was wrong. "What happened?"

"You sure you know enough spells, Granger?" Draco said. She immediately got up and dashed out of the room. Draco picked up his wand and followed after her. The house was pitch black as she ran through the almost familiar corridors, with the faint light from Draco's wand guiding her. She heard a loud rustle outside. They turned towards the grand staircase and slowly went down, their hands unknowingly finding each other for support.

"Are you sure the boy is here?" A man with an oddly recognizable voice said, as Draco and Hermione stopped dead at the foot of the stairs. Draco waved off the _Lumos_ spell from his wand to avoid detection.

"The Dark Lord's sources are to be trusted." Another man growled. Hermione immediately recognized the voice; it was the werewolf Fenrir Greyback. And with him was some other Death Eater out to find, and possibly kill, the boy beside her.

"There is no one in this house, Fenrir! We are wasting our time, when the boy could be hiding with Remus and the others." The other man again said, this time with a distinctly noticeable accent that they've definitely heard before.

A growl was the response to this statement. "You know the price of mistrust, Severus." Another growl was heard.

"Snape!" Hermione said quite loudly, which alerted the people outside and caused Draco to put his hand over her mouth. They heard another set of footsteps drawing nearer to the door.

"There is someone here." Greyback said darkly, and started sniffing around. "I smell young blood." A loud pop was again heard, and this time they heard a third voice speak.

"The Dark Lord wants to know if the job is done." The man said with authority. "Is it?" He asked.

"A pure blood, and a—"

"Fenrir senses people inside. Tell him to put off Narcissa's execution for a little while." Snape said, numb. He knew that Narcissa wasn't really in their custody, but she knew that this lie was enough to send Draco storming out. He didn't plan on killing him; he knew that the boy would find some clever way to escape. This is a test for the Dark Lord's trust, and that precisely is what he needed to survive in this war.

"She isn—"

"Hush, Apollo!" Snape said urgently. The man immediately understood Snape's meaning, and only turned to stare at the werewolf looking around, his hungry eyes reflecting the moonlight.

"It's bait." Hermione said, as she felt Draco weaken and fall unto the floor. She could hear his fingers rustling through his clothes. Finally, she heard something solid hit the marble floor.

"He's going to pay." Draco whispered, enraged.

"Don't listen to them! Your mother's not with Vol—" She flinched, but figured that if Harry could do it, so can she. "—demort. They're using her name to lure us out."

"Run upstairs, Granger." Draco said in a grave tone. He was indebted to her for hiding him, considering that he was the most wanted enemy of her side. She was, at least, a bit kind to him and didn't torture him like he did with her. Gratitude was an unfamiliar feeling in his heart, and he realized that even though his father showered him with the most wonderful things and gave him the glorious prestige of being a Malfoy, his mother, had somehow instilled in him that maybe there was more to life than power and money. And that was why he wanted her safe.

"You could die out there." She said, quite sadly and more pleadingly than she'd expected to.

"Don't you want me dead?" He asked, blatantly trying his arrogant prat act again to lighten the mood. But somehow she did not laugh, or call him a stupid git.

"I guess I don't." She whispered. How is it that her worst enemy turned out to be the most honest friend she had? Harry has a great deal of issues, most he preferred to keep to himself. Ron, was just, well, Ron. And that's what's so bad. "I didn't have those D.A. meetings for nothing."

"Come on, Granger. Be serious. Outside are two of the Dark Lord's most powerful Death Eaters. The other one is the most vicious werewolf to ever exist. You seriously think you can take them?" He asked, partly mocking her and partly _and_ surprisingly fearing for her safety.

"And you can? Stop being a pompous jerk for minute and realize that you can't do this alone." He couldn't see her face in the dark, but her voice sounded resilient and strong.

"—Mudblood." Greyback finally said, which caused Snape's eyes to widen in shock. Only one person came to mind. Pointing his wand at the door, he said a very strong spell that shattered the only protection they had. He stormed inside, flicking his wand for lights. Almost immediately, every light in the house was turned on.

"Severus, what are you doing?" The third death eater, Apollo, said as he followed the man inside, stepping on fragments of wood along the way. Greyback roared again; he knew this was not part of the plan. He saw Draco and Hermione together at the bottom of the stairs, clutching their wands and pointing it in their direction.

"This is what you get for disobeying orders!" He said, turning to Draco. He shifts his wand at him, and bellowed out coldly, "_Agreppo!_" He didn't have time to react; he just fell on the floor, unconscious. Greyback leaped in front of him.

"This is not an attack, Severus! You will alert the others!" He growled angrily, scratching Snape at the side of his face with his sharp claws. A gash appeared on his left cheek, blood dripping out. Hermione stood up, glanced at Draco, eyes dilating slowly, and mustered up the courage to fight.

"_Expelliarmus!_" She said, causing Greyback to be thrown aside, along with Snape. Hermione looked again at Draco; he wasn't moving. Suddenly Apollo raised his wand at her and before she knew it, she felt something warm trickle down her hand. He had wounded her.

Draco could only see darkness. He could only feel pain. Yet as consciousness was slipping away from him, a groggy voice recited the killing spell.

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**Who died? Review to find out! **


	9. Conscience

**Sorry I haven't updated in such a LONG time. I really have no idea what will happen next, so I wait for it to come to me. Anyway, I hope you like this! THANK YOU to the wonderful people who reviewed! Roses and chocolates to all of you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this and all that blah.

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"Harry?"

Harry turned around to see a pretty girl sit beside him. She held his hands in hers; her warm hands that brought him comfort. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, for no particular reason, just that seeing her smile made him want to do the same. She had beautiful flowing red hair.

"Ginny, I hope it's all right with Cho staying here." Said Harry softly. He had been sitting here for quite some time now, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. It seemed that thinking was the only solace he had right now. He had a world to save, a death to avenge, a love to choose. The weight of the world was upon a sixteen-year old boy's shoulders.

"Oh, of course." She answered half-heartedly. She really didn't know why Harry liked her, when he had been in love with Cho for ages. She still had some doubts; she knew that she was the best friend's little sister, and the girl who was always there. What if Harry liked her because of their relationship making sense? But then, she realized, it was not worth thinking about right now. They were over.

"It's just that when I lost my parents, I didn't have anyone." He said sadly. "I don't want that to happen to her. No matter what happened with us, she still is a friend. I want our love to compensate for her emptiness." He looked at her, and saw that she was looking down. He raised her face up, and held it longingly. It was then that he knew he needed to be sure.

"You made me feel better." He said, holding her tight but making sure that he wasn't too intimate. "You always do." He whispered.

"That's what friends do, right?" She replied, holding back a sob. "Be there for each other."

He saw that she was crying and wiped the tears away with his hand. "Everything's going to be okay." He reassured, giving her a small smile. He felt that he knew why she was crying. "I promise you."

She couldn't say anything, she just laughed. And Harry laughed with her.

* * *

"We have heard about Draco Malfoy's escape." Alastor Moody said gravely, his voice resonating in the small kitchen. It was the monthly meeting of the Order, and the first one since Albus Dumbledore's death. Among the order of business was electing a new Secret-Keeper. Wizards and witches sat beside each other at the wooden table, faces covered with worry and fear. Noticeable were the new people recruited. New, but some of the most prominent wizards and witches that are on the side of the light.

"My zorses say zat he is hiding here." A deep voice said, youth evident. He was Viktor Krum.

Whispers filled the room, people questioning and exclaiming. "Enough!" Said the new headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall. Her face was now streaked with more lines, perhaps from the stress and the weight of the previous events. "Where, exactly? Here in London?" She asked.

"In London." Krum replied.

"This is more serious than I thought." She said, sitting down. "We need to elect a new secret-keeper at once."

"But who?" A wizard asked, with a bushy face.

"Alastor! You will be the secret keeper!" A young witch said, standing up. The others immediately voiced out their own opinions, shouting names of higher Order members, one even nominating Harry Potter. Remus Lupin stood up quietly, and went out of the room, unnoticed by the other members. It was then that he whispered.

"Fawkes."

Suddenly a blaze of light illuminated the room, and a magnificent bird perched on one of the broken wooden beams. Lupin smiled, and the phoenix replied with an affectionate whoop. He reentered the room, and the people inside suddenly grew quiet at the sight before them.

"Fawkes will decide who the next secret-keeper will be, since he knew the previous secret-keeper the most." Lupin said in a soft yet stern voice, and everyone sat down and remained silent. "If you please," He whispered to the phoenix, and immediately it circled around the room three times, leaving trails of fire in the air. It finally landed beside someone.

"Congratulations Minerva, you are now secret-keeper for the Order." Lupin said, and everyone broke into applause. McGonagall blushed slightly, and cleared her throat to speak.

"Molly, the parchment?" Lupin asked, and she immediately took out a queer looking box from out of nowhere. It was gold lined with rubies, which might have made it very heavy, but ironically it was light as a feather. She whispered something and the box opened by itself. She took out a small piece of parchment and handed it to Lupin. He cast a spell on it and the words on paper suddenly became smoke like letters, which floated in midair for everyone to see.

"_Arbum est gloriat,_" Lupin said, and soon the others followed. "_Demonstradum urget majoram aut._" The letters circled itself around McGonagall and disappeared. The room was once again filled with whispers.

"Now to business." Lupin said, as he closed the door and sat in his usual place. Fawkes stayed in a corner, listening quietly. "Draco Malfoy, according to Harry's account, did lead the death eaters inside Hogwarts."

"Send him to Azkaban!" Another wizard said, but McGonagall quickly intervened.

"The boy is innocent." She said, standing up. "We all know that it was Severus Snape who killed Albus. Draco wouldn't have done anything if The Dark Lord didn't threaten to kill his mother."

"The young Death Eater has a heart, eh?" Said another.

"He was my student." Professor Sprout said, standing up. "An excellent one at that. I think you will testify to that, Minerva? He's as good as Ms. Granger."

"Is this true?" Molly Weasley asked.

"It is. He wouldn't be prefect unless it was true." McGonagall answered, sighing. "But the boy's academic performance is besides the point. What we know is that his loyalty to Him is wavering." The Order members started murmuring among themselves. It was unlikely for this boy to not be loyal to Voldemort, when generations of his family have.

"He has valuable information, which we can tap if we get him." Tonks continued. "It will help us greatly."

"How will we find him?" Asked another wizard.

"We will send out spies around London," McGonagall replied. "Find his mother."

Murmurings once again filled the room. Lupin and McGonagall smiled at each other with a tired look, which prompted for her to end the meeting. "This meeting is adjourned, for now. We will resume tomorrow." She stood up from her chair, gave Lupin, Moody and Tonks a courteous nod, and went out of the room via floo powder. The others stood up and followed.

Minerva McGonagall stepped out of a grand fireplace and sat down on an available chair. With a flick of the wand the fireplace was lit, revealing an exquisite room, filled with books and antiques and moving portraits. One moving portrait, however, was noticeable.

"I trust it went well, Minerva?" The portrait asked, his blue eyes twinkling. The headmistress sighed.

"Alright, I suppose." She answered, walking towards the life size picture. The man fixed his crooked hat and smiled.

It was Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

He opened his eyes; it was darkness. He could feel the coldness of the marble seeping through his skin. He got up with difficulty, pain shooting from his leg, and tried to reach for his wand. He blinked, trying to regain composure. Suddenly the past few hours returned to him. Snape. Apollo. Greyback. The Avada. Then the girl.

"Granger?" He called out weakly. He attempted to stand up, feeling wooden splinters in his hand. He called her once again. "Granger?"

What if she was the one who had died? He suddenly panicked, walking faster to circle the area. It was unbelievable that the ministry wasn't here. Then again, the wealthy patrons of Knotsville pay galleons for their security. He took caution with every step, thinking that his wand may be on the floor. "Granger?"

He heard sobbing. He rushed to where the sound came from, and that was where he found her. She was sitting down, clutching her wand tightly. She held on to her knees as if they were the only things that mattered, and her eyes were focused on what the moonlight was radiating upon. A dead body. He stood beside her, and then sat down. He found himself unable to do or say anything.

"I," She started, her voice delicate and afraid. "I," She said again, unable to admit what she had done. It was then that she felt a pair of strong arms rest upon her back. She rested her head on his shoulder, and whispered. "I killed him, Malfoy." He could feel hot tears through his shoulder, and he could hear crying once again.

"Would you rather have us dead than him?" He asked, trying to sound comforting. He didn't know what he was doing comforting her, but then he couldn't stop.

"Apollo, that's his name, right? He just stood there, looking at me. Then I, I did it." She said, still crying uncontrollably.

"Apollo was one of the Dark Lord's most trusted men. He has killed far greater numbers. He deserved his death." Draco replied vengefully.

"Who is to judge whether we deserve to live or die?" She said. She was weak, miserable, and lying in her enemy's arms. Summoning up courage, she broke away from him and got up. Casting a few spells, she managed to make the body disappear, the door repair itself, and lights fill the house. She wiped some blood from her face. She summoned Draco's wand from the corner and handed it to him.

"I have to go to Ginny's. Stay here, and I won't be long." She wiped the traces of tears from her face. "If anyone, and I mean _anyone_ comes here, hide yourself. Or else we will be the ones dead. Got it?"

"Got it." Draco answered. Hermione walked towards the fireplace, and grabbed some floo powder from the pouch nearby. "And Granger?"

"Malfoy?" She asked.

"Watch yourself." He replied.

"Okay." She said, turning pink for some reason. She stepped into the enormous stone fireplace and disappeared.

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The kitchen was busy; Mrs. Weasley was trying to cook dinner. Cho and Ron were helping out, chopping carrot sticks. Unexpectedly, a flash of green light in the fireplace revealed a bloodied and bruised Hermione Granger. Mrs. Weasley dropped her spoon, Cho gave a little scream, and Ron cut himself in the finger. Then all of them ran to her to check if she was all right.

"Goodness! What happened to you?" Inquired Mrs. Weasley.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Asked Ron while sucking on his finger.

"Do you want me to call St. Mungo's?" Asked Cho.

"I'm quite fine." She replied. "I need to talk to Lupin." She sat down one of the available wooden chairs, the three people surrounding her never leaving her side. "Can you come get him, Ron?"

"Uh, sure." He replied. "But are you well, Mione?" He asked again.

"Yes, _Ronald_. Please get Lupin." She reiterated, and Ron ran out of the room. They could hear his feet up the rickety steps as he ran. A few moments later, Lupin, followed by Harry and Ginny went in the small kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was tending to Hermione's wounds and Cho was sitting right beside her. Harry ran to her immediately and engulfed her in a long embrace.

"I'm taking you out right now." He said, still holding her. "This is over for you."

"Not yet, Harry." She said, pushing him away. "Professor Lupin?" She said, standing up.

"In the hall, Hermione." Lupin replied, opening the door for her. They both stepped out of the room.

"What in Merlin's name happened to you?" He asked.

"I was asleep. I heard noises outside, so I went down to check. Greyback—"

"Fenrir Greyback?" Lupin asked.

"—Yes, him. He must have sensed me inside, because Snape suddenly destroyed the front door. They went inside, along with another Death Eater named Apollo. I tried to ward them off, and I—" She said, stopping. She still couldn't admit to herself that she had performed the Avada.

"You killed someone, didn't you?" Lupin said, continuing for her. She bowed her head in reply, allowing a few tears to escape from her eyes. Lupin gave her a pat on the back. "This is a war, Hermione. No place for remorse. Especially for someone of _their_ kind. Who did you—"

"Apollo." She answered, looking up and wiping a few tears.

"I understand. Do you want to pull out?" He offered. She thought of Draco.

"No. But I promise the next time they come, I'll call you." She said. "I apologize for blowing my cover."

"No, you didn't do anything. The only thing you did was show bravery in times of casualty. Professor Dumbledore would've been proud of his finest student." He said, comforting her. She smiled. Lupin gave her a last pat on the back and went into the kitchen again.

She sighed. She didn't exactly lie to him. That was what happened. She just left out the parts with Draco in them. Just as she was about to follow him, the door swung open.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked, concerned. He slowly caressed the side of Hermione's arm.

"Yes, but I have to be getting back." She replied, wanting to escape. Ron was touching her arm. What was happening?

"Listen, I have something important to say." He replied, his face drawing nearer to hers.

"Um, yes?" She answered, uncomfortable. She knew she wanted what was happening. But then why was she hesitating? "Ron—"

She was stopped when he suddenly kissed her. She panicked, and pushed him away. "What are you doing?" She asked, hysterical.

"I thought this is what you wanted." He said, his face in a deep crimson.

"I thought so too. But that was before…" She said, unable to finish her sentence. But she knew exactly how the sentence would end.

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**And I bet you probably know too. Hmm? Please Review!**


	10. Doubting

**Disclaimer: I do not, and never will, own _Harry Potter_.**

Dare she say his name? She stopped herself, letting the situation sink in. The boy that she loved had just kissed her. What was she doing pulling back? Almost immediately, the answer came into her mind. Draco. She couldn't help but be drawn to his strength and his fragility, his cunning wit and his lapses. His strikingly cold gray eyes; eyes which tell her everything his words could not say.

"The war," She lied, looking away. "It's too risky." She tried to walk away, but Ron would not give up. He stopped her.

"I don't care, Hermione." He answered.

"Well, I care, Ron. I think its better we remain friends." She said in the kindest possible way. She was rejecting his love; pushing him away. Her vision was suddenly blurry. "I have to go." She said, and before Ron could reply and stop her again, she ran towards the fireplace.

x0x

She went back, finding Draco sitting on the steps of the stairs, obviously waiting. He stood up when he saw her, and a wave of relief overcame him. But she was not okay; she had just killed a man, and there were tears in her eyes. He went closer to her.

"You okay, Granger?" He asked sincerely.

"I just need some rest, Draco…" She said, tired and careless, as she walked directly upstairs. He went after her, walking beside her.

"What did the others say?" He asked. He knew that after a threat on the life of one of their own, most especially the bright and young Hermione Granger, they would discontinue the operation. He had half-expected her to return, but she did. As strange as it may seem, he wouldn't know what to do without her.

"I came back, didn't I?" She answered, annoyed. She didn't exactly know why she was angry. She was angry with a lot of people; angry with Voldemort for causing so much evil and distraught, at Harry for putting her up to this business, at Ron for realizing his feelings too late, and even at herself for calling the Slytherin prince by his first name. She knew that this would change everything.

"Fine. I'll see you in the morning." Draco replied curtly. He hadn't meant to be cruel, but he was, too, angry that she knew his purpose for asking the question. He walked briskly up the stairs, leaving her alone. It was then that she spoke again.

"He kissed me." She said, and Draco stopped in his tracks. He felt a pang of hatred for the Weasel Boy. He knew that everyday she resented the fact that Ron and her would never be more than friends. Even when they were at Hogwarts, he knew. Seeing the look of love on her face was so revolting that he wanted to hit Ron's head on one of the posts and shout, "Bloody open your eyes, you arse!"

Draco turned around. "Good for you then, Granger." He then continued on walking, not wanting to prolong the conversation. He hated the fact that he could actually stomach being with her, when for six years they've been enemies. Six years of insults and pain, and in a few days, it seemed like it had never happened. "Good night," He called out, running to the top step.

x0x

"Insolent fool!" The Dark Lord bellowed at Severus Snape. The air was thick with anger and pain as Snape let out a cutting scream. Wormtail was sitting in a corner, looking very pleased. Greyback sat beside the Dark Lord. The plan was to lure the young Malfoy out, not attack him, or his companion, who apparently, is a friend of the order. Now, the Order knew that the wheels were turning.

"Apollo is dead," Voldemort said, lashing out spells to torture and damage him. He did not deserve the Avada; the quick and painless way. His horrifying, slit-like eyes glowed with rage. "You disobeyed me again, Severus!"

"My," Snape tried to explain. He cared for the boy, the good side of him did. Imagining him with that mudblood was intolerable. He could only save him from his misery, but it seemed that he was not miserable at all. "My Lord, I beg for mercy,"

"You had that from weak old fools." He replied, his thin, pale arms growing weary with the use of the wand. "You will not have that from me." He then stopped. "But, you are fortunate that I still need you."

Wormtail stood up in revolt. "My lord, he is a traitor!" He exclaimed loudly.

"Silence, Wormtail!" Voldemort said, pushing him back to the wall with the use of his wand. "The boy still trusts you." The Dark Lord paced around, and Snape could feel terrible cold mix with unbearable pain. "After this, he still does." He turned to the werewolf, who immediately bowed his head. "You are to follow him at all times, Fenrir. And if he disobeys me again," The Dark Lord turned to Snape, aimed his wand at him, and constricted his breathing. "Then you and your friends will have a delightful snack."

"Yes, my Lord." Greyback growled. His eyes flashed hatred at Snape.

"Good." Voldemort said, and waved his wand to stop the spell on Snape. He was bloody and weak, but he knew that if he passed this test, he would have more power than he could possibly imagine.

"The boy, Severus. And this time, bring him to me alive."

x0x

The next morning, Hermione woke up to a loud bustling sound downstairs. Instinctively, she reached for her wand, as she walked slowly out the door. She then remembered that Malfoy lived here too. She sighed heavily and walked briskly towards the staircase, eager to speak her mind.

"Malfoy, will you stop that raucous?" She said, as she went down the stairs. "Honestly, I don't know why—"

She looked down and saw the bewildered faces of Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, Harry and Ginny.

x0x

**Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thank You:D**


	11. Knowledge

"Darling, are you feeling alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked as Hermione slowly trudged down the stairs, contemplating on her next move. Of course The Order didn't know that she was keeping Draco. But she almost expected them to find out, since most of the older members _were_ very skilled Occlumens. She _had_ hoped they would find out, so she would be spared of the explanations and the scolding, for keeping a fugitive such as he.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked, concerned. He was clutching his wand tightly, and lack of sleep was evident in his emerald eyes. They were not the bright ones she knew, but instead, a hollow emptiness that his eyes seemed to convey. The war was punishing them. Still their faces were expectant of a perfectly good reason why she would shout out his name.

"I, uh, was dreaming?" She tried. It was a shallow excuse, _too_ shallow for someone like Hermione Granger. But that was precisely why they believed her. They breathed a sigh of relief, delighted that the girl was still all right, even after the atrocities of last night.

"Harry, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley and Professor Lupin!" Hermione screamed, trying to sound excited when she was just warning Draco. "I didn't expect you here."

"Well, we wanted to make sure you were alright." Professor Lupin said, and Hermione thought that she saw that old knowing glimmer in his steely eyes.

"Well, yes," Hermione said, sitting down in one of the velvet armchairs, "I'm quite alright here. The house fixed itself, amazingly. It must have had a pretty powerful owner." She said, trying to keep things light. She wanted to make them believe that she was all right, even though she was deathly terrified of what's to come. Still, she cannot turn Draco in. They will not understand.

"Please go home with us," Ginny said, rushing to her side, her flowing red hair trailing behind her. "It's too dangerous. Ron's panicking and being all annoying, Harry doesn't sleep anymore, all mum and dad do is—"

"If you want to, Hermione." Mrs. Weasley interrupted, shooting her daughter a warning glance. "We can discontinue this operation, and you can go home safely. I see no reason why the older members of The Order cannot continue what you have started."

"No!" Hermione answered almost immediately. "What I mean is, you may not understand why I'm doing this. I feel like I owe Professor Dumbledore something. I want to be the witch that he always saw me to be, and I can be that witch, if I do this."

It was as if something in Harry stirred. "Well, right." Hermione looked at him and saw tears brimming in his eyes, showing the old warmth they once contained. "If you need us, we're just a floo powder away." Mrs. Weasley and Professor Lupin looked at each other, each breathing a deep sigh.

"Be safe, dear." Mrs. Weasley said, giving her a warm hug.

"Please come home, Hermione." Ginny said, her voice on the verge of breakdown.

"There are a few books in the library that can help you, Hermione. I know that they are of the dark arts, but it helps to be sure." Professor Lupin advised.

Harry gave her a long embrace. "I'm sure he'd be proud of you, Herm." Harry whispered.

"I know _he_ would be proud of _you_." She told him.

She turned around and sighed, after they had flooed out of the house. She collapsed onto the velvet armchair. She doesn't exactly have a plan about Draco, and now that she was spending time with him, it proved to be more difficult to turn him in to The Order.

"They're gone, then?" Hermione heard a voice say. She turned to look and saw Draco wearing only a green silk robe, descending down the stairs like some sort of master.

"Yes, Malfoy." She said, shutting her eyes. "Your presence is giving me a migraine. Can you bother me later?"

"But Granger, you know my morning isn't complete without seeing you squirm." He said evilly.

"Leave now or you'll start to grow on me. And you won't like me liking you." She said with a yawn, waving her hand to gesture dismissal. "Food's in the Slytherin dining room."

"I thought you liked me already." Draco replied wittily.

"I don't know where you think these things up, Malfoy." Hermione said sleepily. _I'm starting to believe them myself. _

**xox**

"Are you sure Remus?" Molly Weasley asked for the tenth time, while taking a sip of her tea. She was pacing back and forth nervously in the small kitchen of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, perplexed at the situation before them.

"We should put him in custody immediately." Moody said, his magic eye twirling around in its socket, the way it is when tensions are high and the enemy is near. It does that a lot lately now, ever since both of the sides realized that war was inevitable.

"He is just a boy, Alastor." Molly replied, sitting down, drinking more tea to calm her nerves. The boy made her nervous, especially with her so close to him.

"He is hiding from the Dark Lord, so that means he is against him." Remus Lupin said, defending Molly. He believed the boy's good intentions. He _was_ just a boy, after all. And whispers told him that the boy ran away when he was about to be marked.

"Does Hermione know that he is in the house?" Molly asked, frightened.

"No, I don't think so. The house is very big, and very old. There may be rooms that are only accessible to pureblood descendants. And as you know, every pureblood family is interconnected." Lupin looked at Moody, who started at him sternly.

"Fine. I suppose we should just leave the boy there?" Moody said. He never took a liking to the Malfoy boy. Potter didn't like him, and he trusted Potter.

"For the moment, I'm afraid that's all we will be able to do." Remus said with a tired sigh. "We should bring this matter up in the next Order meeting. Maybe Minerva will pass better judgment on this matter, and figure out what to do with young Draco."

**xox**

"Did you hear that?" Ron asked. Harry and Cho were sitting on the stairs, watching him listen in to the conversation at the kitchen. Ginny was opposed to listening in during Order meetings so she ran back upstairs.

"Hear what, Ron." Harry said, rolling his eyes. Ever since the attack, Ron was in full-on panic mode. He never slept anymore, he kept on pestering everyone around the house about Hermione, and just last night he made a muggle diagram to persuade Lupin to send Hermione back. Harry was stressed, but even he knew that Ron was bordering on insane.

"Fine. Don't care about your best friend, Harry." Ron replied, sensing the tone of intolerance in Harry's voice.

"It's not that I don't care about Hermione, Ron. I do. I just trust her to take care of herself. You, on the other hand, talk as if she were some struggling first year student in a sixth year transfiguration class." Harry said calmly.

"I think it's best if you paid her a visit." Cho said. She was usually quiet, so Harry turned to her when she spoke. She smiled lightly, though that failed to remove the sadness in her eyes.

"If you're so worried about her, Ron, why don't you go see how she's doing?" Harry said, backing up Cho's suggestion. It would satisfy his insatiable concern for Hermione's welfare and get him out of the house, so for once, they would get some peace and quiet.

"I'll get Malfoy myself." Ron grumbled, and entered the kitchen to pay Hermione a visit.

**xox**

Hermione was still resting on the velvet armchair when she heard a thud. She immediately opened her eyes and grasped her wand, only to loosen her grip when she saw that it was only Ron. He was dusty, and, after getting over the initial pain of the marble floor, got up and brushed off the ashes of his shirt.

"Where is he, Hermione?" Ron asked, enraged. He was pointing his wand threateningly at no one in particular.

"Oh, crap." Hermione cursed under her breath. "Where is who, Ron?"

"Malfoy. I know he's here." Ron said angrily. "Come out, come out, wherever you are ferret boy!" He screamed. Hermione thanked Ron silently. At least Malfoy would be aware of Ron's presence.

"Ron, you are delusional. What would Malfoy be doing here?" She asked, feigning innocence.

"Stop covering for me, Granger." A cold voice said behind her. Ron's stare grew more intense. She turned around, and saw that it was Malfoy, eating a ham sandwich.

"What are you doing?" She asked him. "Now we have to deal with Ron squealing to the Order!"

"The Order already knows that Malfoy's here." Ron spat, his wand still up.

"Put that down, Weasley. Before you hurt yourself." Draco drawled infuriatingly.

"The Order knows?" Hermione asked, suddenly nervous. "How?"

"Didn't you expect them to figure it out?" Ron answered impatiently. "Now stand back, Hermione, as I finish this git off."

"Ron, put your wand down." Hermione warned.

"You're actually protecting him? Get away, Hermione!" Ron screamed.

"You heard him, Granger. Let's see what he's got." Draco taunted.

"God, Malfoy." She said. "Ron, I suggest you put your wand down."

"_Cruc_—"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Hermione said, and Ron crashed to the antique table, breaking the precious Ming porcelain vase on top of it. Draco dropped his sandwich and applauded.

"Oh shut up, Malfoy." She said, running to Ron. She brushed off some of the debris off of his face, only to discover that he was unconscious. "Get over here!" She told Malfoy. He walked slowly, carrying his wand with him.

"I think we should leave him this way." Draco said, an amused grin playing on his face.

"We need to perform a memory spell on him." Hermione said, lifting her wand. "_Obliviate une_!" Sparks flew from her wand to Ron's temples, dancing around before they disappeared. "That should remove his memory of the past hour. Fix those, will you?" She said, pointing to the antique table and the Ming vase. She pulled Ron away from the mess.

"Stay here while I bring Ron back. The we can deal with the fact that The Order knows that you're here." Hermione said.

**xox**


	12. Forgo

Draco paced back and forth in the room, digesting the information. He glanced furtively at the fireplace, half expecting a member of The Order to appear and finish him off or send him to Azkaban with his father. He knew he had to do something before Granger got back. He looked at the front door. It wasn't like he could just get out of here.

Or could he?

He raced upstairs; putting on whatever clothes he could get at first grasp. He then found a small piece of parchment and a vial of green ink. He wrote a hasty message to her and went back down, considering his decision for a moment before stepping out into the world.

…

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked as she saw Hermione drag his body out of the fireplace. Lupin ran to the kitchen immediately, followed by Tonks whose hair had turned into a menacing shade of black. Mrs. Weasley fawned over his unconscious son, unsure what spell to cast on him.

"Was it an attack?" Lupin asked urgently.

"Are you hurt, Hermione?" Tonks said worriedly, looking at Ron with her face contorted in a weird emotion.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley, he just crashed into a Ming vase, that's all." Hermione lied smoothly. She was relieved that Moody wasn't here; she knew he could detect dishonesty in a heartbeat. "I heard a crash and, you know, there was Ron."

"Well, yes," Mrs. Weasley answered, still with a quiver in her voice, though her fears have been greatly reduced by Hermione's story. "Right, then. I suppose we don't need magic for this one? I'll bring Ron up to one of the rooms and brew him some nice hot tea." Mrs. Weasley was about to pick up her son when Lupin stepped in, politely saying that he could carry Ron instead and that she stays here for the tea. Tonks followed Lupin out.

"Okay then," Hermione said, smiling. "I better get back to my post."

"Hermione dear," Mrs. Weasley said, her back turned while she was sorting some herbs to brew, "won't you want to see Harry and the others?"

"Harry, right." Hermione repeated, as if she'd just remembered. Truthfully, she didn't care about seeing her friends right now, knowing that they were all right. She'd much rather go back to the mansion and scream her head off at Malfoy for pulling a stunt like that. "I'll go and say hello."

"They would be so glad to see you, even though you just saw them." Mrs. Weasley answered back distractedly, too busy making Ron's tea. Hermione went out of the kitchen and tried to find Harry, Ginny and Cho; she was almost sure they were where Ron was. When she found the room, she was surprised to see them laughing at the sleeping redhead in front of them.

"Harry just told me what happened." Ginny said, in between giggles, "The paranoid prat."

"Did he really crash into a vase?" Harry asked, stifling his laughter.

"That's so, so dreadful." Cho tried to say solemnly, but was betrayed by another fit of laughter.

"Well, it was, I admit, pretty stupid." Hermione said. "Why would he come to the mansion in the first place?"

"He was worrying," Harry said.

"As usual." Ginny laughed, finishing off Harry's sentence.

"Oh." Hermione said, sitting down beside them. She never knew Ron worried this much about her. She looked out the bolted window, suddenly missing the huge, glass pane ones of the mansion. Her thoughts suddenly drifted off to Malfoy.

"You should stay for lunch, Hermione." Harry said. "It's been too long since you've eaten with us."

Hermione thought for a second. Malfoy should be alright, she imagined him relaxing in one of the velvet arm chairs, eating the remains of his ham sandwich, his robe untied, showing the delicate ripples of his—what was she thinking? She shook the thought out of her head. "Yeah sure, I'll stay for lunch."

…

"We have excellent news master."

Voldemort sat up at the sound of the announcement. He had been gathering the Death Eaters from all throughout Europe, instructing them on what to do and where to stay. He had been forced to appoint much younger applicants, to His disdain, because His senior members have either been killed or sent to Azkaban. The ones that hid, well, no one could hide from Him.

"Speak." He commanded, His cold, chilling voice filling the room, echoing through the dank and stony walls of the chamber. He could not be seen, for the only source of illumination was the two torches that stood in the entryway. His faithful sentry stood around Him in silence.

"The boy, we found him, my lord." Said Perosus, a well-revered Death Eater from the south of Ireland. The Dark Lord asked him to join his private inquisitorial service. He bowed deeply in front of Voldemort, making sure not to look him in the eyes for it would imply that he thought of the Dark Lord as an equal. "He left Knotsville and the house that he was staying in, to find another safe house. My forces are already following him as we speak."

"No!" Voldemort bellowed, standing up. "Bring Severus to me."

A moment later, Snape appeared, looking much more haggard than before, his body covered with bruises and cuts. He bowed deeply. "My lord, you called me?" Voldemort, who could feel the rush of victory in his veins, stood up from his chair went near Snape. He took his wand and used it to straighten him up.

"Now, now Severus. It is not the time to be somber. Perosus found your student." Snape's head was still bowed, deeply ashamed for his mistake. This seemed to nerve the Dark Lord. "Severus, you know what to do." He tilted Snape's chin up with a sharp thrust of his wand. "I do not like repeating myself." He walked back to his chair, resuming his majestic position. "If you fail to do what I ask," the statement was finished off with a dark, evil laugh that made Snape clutch his wand a little tighter. He bowed again and disapparated, preparing for the task at hand.

…

"Come, children, time for lunch!" Mrs. Weasley's voice rang through the halls, summoning Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Cho and Ron downstairs. They were having a lovely time making fun of Ron and his clumsiness, and Hermione was thankful that he didn't remember seeing Malfoy. All of them went out of the room, still laughing and mocking in good humor, expecting a mouthwatering lunch in the kitchen. One of the rooms, Hermione noticed, had the door slightly ajar, and she saw a flash of silvery blond hair, but before she could get a good look, Tonks appeared and shut the door. The doors in this place looked the same, so she dropped an earring and hoped to go back there later to see who was behind the door.

Coming in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley's cheerfulness was quite evident with the food she served. She was glad that Hermione was here and out of the dangerous mansion. The table was filled with plates of delicious food and they all sat down eagerly to eat. A few minutes into the meal, Lupin and Tonks joined them and sat down, with Hermione eying them suspiciously. She pretended to choke on something.

"You alright, Hermione?" Harry said, noticing.

"I think I chewed on a peppercorn." Hermione said, fanning her face with her hands and making her eyes water up. "Excuse me." She bolted out of the room as if it were urgent, and ran up the stairs, finding the room. No one seemed to think too much of this, they all resumed eating happily. She saw the familiar twinkle of the diamond in the dusty floor, and opened the door slowly, peering inside. A woman sat down, deep in thought. She noticed someone coming in, and looked surprised.

"I thought no one else knew I was here," she said, hiccupping. Hermione closed the door behind her. The cold gray eyes, the pale, pointed face, the hair; the resemblance was striking. Hermione sat down beside her, and noticed her crying.

"I know where your son is, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione said softly. She found a surprising amount of sympathy lurch inside of her.

"D-Draco? You know where he is?" Narcissa cried, surprised. She then covered her head in her hands and resumed sobbing. "Such a brave, brave boy. He wanted me safe. He doesn't deserve this! H-he," she wiped the tears from her face with a silken handkerchief, "he is punishing my son for Lucius' mistake."

"I know, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione said gently. "Draco is hiding out with me, in a mansion in Knotsville."

"That's where I live," Narcissa said.

"We're staying in Mal-Draco's aunt's house, I think. Her name was Janella?" Hermione inquired.

"The foolish seer, yes, I remember her. How is Draco?" Narcissa asked impatiently.

"Draco's fine. He's doing well, and perfectly healthy." Hermione replied, and was glad to see a wave of relief wash over Narcissa's face.

"And The," Narcissa had quite a difficult time saying this, "Order? Do they know he's with you?"

"No." Hermione answered. "But I can assure you, the house is well protected. And Draco is very skilled, he can protect himself."

"Can I see him?" Narcissa asked, hopeful.

"Not for the moment, not while we haven't settled this thing out yet. But I promise you that Draco is safe." Hermione said. She got up and went to the door. "Mrs. Malfoy, why did you call Janella a foolish seer?"

"Because she was," Narcissa replied, much relaxed now that her son was alright. "She predicted whom Draco was going to marry!"

"Oh," Hermione said, quite disappointed that she gave an answer much like Tonks'. "Mrs. Malfoy, please don't tell anyone about this conversation. If The Order knew—"

"The Order will not know that you have my son. Why, I honestly don't know what he'll endure under them once they find out." Narcissa said, echoing Hermione's concern.

"Janella said he was going to marry a muggle-born." Hermione heard Narcissa say, and she turned around. "That's why Lucius was so furious at her." Hermione shut the door, thinking. She was a clever witch; she could add the pieces together. But she wasn't prepared for the conclusion they would result to. She went back to the kitchen, and found that they were all relaxed, eating and drinking butterbeer.

"I have to go back," Hermione said, grabbing a biscuit. "To the mansion, I mean."

"Why?" Ron asked, his face stuffed with food.

"I get paranoid, okay? You know how I act in school. I consider this as a homework." Hermione said, grabbing a handful of floo powder.

"I doubt anything's going to happen to that house." Tonks said. "Relax, Hermione."

"I'm sorry. Thank you for lunch, Mrs. Weasley. I'll see you later, guys." Hermione said before hastily teleporting out of there.

…

"Malfoy!" Hermione screamed once she reached Knotsville. She ran to the Slytherin dining room, expecting him to be there, eating. When he couldn't find her there, she ran up, looking for him in every room, screaming his name. Frustrated, she retreated to her own room, where she found a small piece of parchment waiting for her at the bed, with writing hastily scrawled in green ink.

_Thank you and goodbye._

Hermione didn't spare a moment for thought; she dashed out of the room and went into the unknown grounds of Knotsville.

…

**A/N: I am terribly sorry for not being able to update in months! I sort of lost track of the storyline, but I needed to finish this before the seventh book comes out. THANK YOU for those who reviewed, and readers, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


	13. Escaping

**Escaping**

…

Harry and Cho made their way up the stairs, laughing at Tonks' constantly changing nose. It was almost familiar, being with her again, quite different from the feeling of impending doom he had been feeling for the past few months. Being with her was almost like being…normal. As they walked towards the bedroom, Cho noticed something sparkling on the floor.

"Hey," she said, picking it up. "Look."

Harry inspected the earring, looking at it closely. He remembered Tonks' pig nose, and he suppressed a chuckle. He remembered Hermione, and how she was missing an earring—he looked at the door in front of him and peered lightly. Inside was the sleeping figure of Narcissa Malfoy. He looked at Cho, who looked confused, and handed her the diamond earring.

"I'll follow," Harry said, hiding his sense of panic. "I just need to speak with Lupin for a moment." He rushed down the rickety stairs, Hermione's strange behavior still plaguing him at the back of his mind.

…

"It's not wise, what you did." A cold, calm voice said. Draco straightened up and clutched his wand tighter. The sun had just set; the moon was peeking from behind the clouds. He'd ran as far as he could away from Knostville, and it led him to an abandoned warehouse in the middle of a clearing. "I'm almost disappointed in you."

"Professor Snape." Draco replied, taking a step back. "He asked you to kill me?"

"Oh, heavens no." Snape answered. "He wants you alive. Apparently, you're useful now. Been living with the mudblood Granger, have we?"

"Don't call her that!" Draco found himself saying before he could stop himself. A second later, he found himself thrown down on the ground.

"What's happened to you, Draco?" Snape said, looking down on him. He was concerned, he admitted; young Malfoy was his student for six years. Hearing him defend the mudblood was both disappointing and frightening.

"Do what you must," Draco spat, "but I will never talk. I refuse to be my father."

"Have I taught you nothing these past few years?" Snape replied angrily. He clutched Draco's robe and pulled him close to his face. "You must not show weakness." He whispered, with the concern of a frightened parent. Almost as instantly, he threw Draco to the ground and summoned two more death eaters.

"Dolohov," Snape said as one death eater apparated with a loud pop, "and Kruff." As the other one followed. "Inform Fenrir that I have the boy, tell him to stop all search parties." Dolohov looked at the figure on the ground, his once pale and pristine face dirtied with blood and dirt. "I shall bring him to the Dark Lord." Snape said, as if reading Dolohov's thoughts. They bowed deeply, and disapparated.

"I promised your mother I'd let no harm come to you." Snape mumbled lowly, as he paced. He closed his mind, tight, afraid of the Dark Lord penetrating the thoughts he was harboring towards the boy. "Narcissa was always a mother before a death eater."

"Where is she?" Draco asked in a low growl. Snape glanced at him coldly, and resumed his to his pacing. He must protect the boy somehow. He must—

"Severus." A voice, devoid of any warmth, greeted him. Draco need not look up, he knew whom it was. His only wish was that Granger wasn't foolish enough to go after him.

…

Hermione followed the two loud pops she heard, which lead her deep into an unfamiliar place. She had been searching for Draco for hours; she tried inquiring from nearby houses, she tried going inside abandoned ones (not effective—the charms placed upon the homes were too powerful) and she'd searched the vicinity of Knotsville. It was then that she'd found a rough patch of dark green; she took this as a good sign and carried on.

She didn't even know why she was following Draco. They'd hated—no, even hate was too soft a word—each other for years. There was something in his short stay with her that made her forget everything he did. She would not admit it to himself, but the portrait helped in turning her extreme detestation for him into something more human—almost compassionate. He was quite handsome; too…she shook her head of the thoughts.

She found herself behind a big crate, looking at Draco's hunched body, ignoring the impulse to run to him and make sure he was alright. She breathed a sigh of relief when Snape seemed determined to protect him.

"Where is she?" He asked in a low growl. Even in his pitiful state, Draco never let go of his pride.

_She's safe_, Hermione wanted to say, _the Order has her_. Surprise came to her as she saw Lord Voldemort's figure materialize before her eyes. Her legs seemed to have failed her, and she clutched the crate for support.

"Young Malfoy." Lord Voldemort said in a disturbingly calm way. "You have given us quite the difficult time."

Draco would not reply. "My Lord—"

"It is not you whom I am talking to, Severus." Voldemort told him threateningly.

"I apologize, Master." Severus bowed, and backed away. Hermione could tell that by the look of his face, he was still figuring out how to get Draco out of there.

"I understand that you have been living with that filthy mudblood for the past days, I am correct?" Lord Voldemort asked. Draco replied with a blank stare. "Answer me, boy!" He bellowed. Draco's resolute will seemed to please him; he had taken immense satisfaction in torturing information out of wizards. "If you do not wish to go willingly, then I must employ force. Young!"

A tall, dark wizard appeared and bowed deeply to the cloaked figure. "What are your orders, My Lord?"

"Bring Narcissa here." He said plainly, and Hermione saw Draco's eyes widen in shock. A second later the death eater Young was gone; then he was back, holding a woman with a wan complexion and a pointed face.

"Mother!" Draco lurched forward towards her and held her tightly.

"Draco, you are alive!" Narcissa said, holding Draco just as tightly. A force then threw them apart; Draco found his wrists bound and his wand in Young's possession. Narcissa was beside Voldemort, his wand looming dangerously near her. Hermione could not understand, Number 12 Grimmauld place could not be penetrated! Unless, unless there was an attack, but surely she would have known by now. The only reasonable explanation would be that this woman was not Narcissa Malfoy.

"It's me you want!" Draco screamed. "Don't hurt her!"

_But it's not her_, Hermione thought, as if she was relaying the message to Draco, _it's not her_. _Your mother is safe with us. That is not your mother; it's an impostor_. She repeatedly said this in her mind, hoping that Draco would use his ability as a legilimens and hear her thoughts.

"Ah, it is apparent that Narcissa isn't the only woman here." Lord Voldemort said, and before Hermione could run away, she was flying in his direction, her wrists bound, her wand in Young's possession. Draco looked surprised, angry and almost fearful that she was here.

"Don't listen to him!" Hermione shrieked. "That's not your mother, Draco, she's safe, she's—"

"_Crucio_!" Voldemort bellowed, and a piercing pain hit Hermione. Draco bent forward, determined to get to her, as tears streaked down her eyes and her bound body contorted in many different directions. Draco looked at Snape with horror, half expecting him to stop this.

"My lord!" Snape said, and the bond was immediately broken. Hermione lay on the ground, motionless. "Why torture the girl? She is of no use to us; we need to procure the information from Draco now."

Draco thought of plans and ran them through. He needed to get her out of there, and, if what she was saying was true, he needed to get himself out of there, to see his mother. John Young had their wands; he needed them to apparate.

"My Lord, I think—"

"I cannot penetrate into the boy's mind! His thoughts are clouded by his concern for the mudblood!" Voldemort said, and looked at Hermione, as if fascinated and disgusted by her. Draco implored Snape's help once more; he promised to keep him safe. Hermione stirred beside him, it gave him a small glimmer of hope.

_I need a distraction_, Draco's stare seemed to say. _You promised me my safety_.

_Then make one_, Snape replied, his glare powerful. _But this is the last time, Draco—_

Draco screamed as he charged at Snape, who seemed to have knocked John Young down, which caused him to let go of the wands. Lord Voldemort was surprised, and, shoving the fake Narcissa to the side, prepared to cast a spell on Draco.

"_Avada_—"

"My lord! We need him!" The fake Narcissa said, clutching her robe in horror. Her pale blond hair had turned into a menacing shade of black; Bellatrix Lestrange was turning back into her natural form.

This distraction bought Draco the time he needed, Lord Voldemort looked back at the impostor, as he grabbed the wands, his hands still bound behind his back, and leapt to Hermione. He needed to disapparate, to get her out of there. He knew he had to have contact, but that seemed impossible at the moment, so he acted on the first solution that came to his mind. He bent down and kissed her, passionately, and thought about Knotsville. There was darkness and a loud pop, and they landed on the front steps of Janella's house.

Hermione opened her eyes, wide in shock, as they hit the soft and wet grass. Something about the kiss was confusing and strange and yet, familiar. The impact drove them apart.

"Hermione!" They heard distant voices say, and almost immediately, they turned their heads towards the door, both scared and relieved, and was glad that it was only Tonks. Hermione and Draco shared meaningful looks.

"It's the Malfoy kid!" Tonks said, speeding up. She first attended to Hermione, and with a flick of her wand, the rope that bound her arms were loose. Lupin followed immediately, surprise evident on his eyes as he gazed upon a bloody Draco, his wrists tied and carrying two wands.

"Don't hurt him!" Hermione said protectively, stepping in front of Draco. "He, he—"

"We know, Hermione." Lupin said. He helped Draco up to his feet, and loosened the bonds on his hands; the wands fell on the ground. He picked them up and handed one to Hermione.

"We need to get you two out of here, you still are moving targets. Tonks, get them back home. I shall destroy the fireplace and follow shortly." Lupin gave Tonks an affectionate look, and she nodded immediately.

"Come on, in here, you two." Tonks said. "Normally we're supposed to travel individually but," Tonks looked outside worriedly, "I think we can forget that for now." She grabbed a handful of floo powder and recited the name of the place. As the green flames engulfed them, Hermione held on to Draco's hand.

…

"_Remember when you saved my life?" The auburn-haired woman asked playfully. Her husband, clad in emerald silk, laughed gaily. _

"_It was nothing, really." He said, with an air of arrogance so common to him._

"_Smart, is what I would call it." She replied, smiling._

"_I never thought the bond of a kiss would be powerful enough." He looked at her, lightly caressing her hand, his emerald ring still present in her fingers. "I was just lucky, I guess."_

"_The kiss didn't do it," his wife said, a tone familiar to wisdom and knowledge, "it was the emotion behind the kiss."_

"_Why am I not surprised that you'd know this?" He laughed gently._

"_I researched it that night we returned to Grimmauld place." _

"_You did?" He asked, his pale blonde eyebrow cocking at her._

"_Naturally," she replied, blushing. "I was young, I was thirsty for knowledge—"_

"—_for my kiss, more like it—"_

_This earned him a slap on the arm. "Draco!" _

"_I'm wrong, then?" He coaxed._

_She smiled, answering his question as she put her lips to his, holding him tightly. She lay down on his chest, content. The warm fire cackled, and the light did wonderfully, enhancing the features of Draco Malfoy's young and beautiful wife. _

"_Hermione?"_

"_Hmm?"_

_He looked down at her, her face was solemn and content, her lips parted in a soft grin. He kissed her forehead and held on to his wife, looking at the portrait hanging above the fire. He would have to tell his children that their great aunt Janella wasn't a foolish seer, after all. _

**FIN**

…

**THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED! I had a fantastic (and long) time writing this fic. I hope you liked it! Have fun in reading the Deathly Hallows. :)**


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